CMS Commits Over $49 Million to Reduce
Uninsured Rate
Among Children and Boost
Medicaid Enrollment Among
Parents, Pregnant
People
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) committed a record $49.4 million to fund organizations that
can connect more eligible children, parents, and pregnant individuals to
health care coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance
Program (CHIP). Awardees—including state/local governments, tribal
organizations, federal health safety net organizations, non-profits, schools,
and others—will receive up to $1.5 million each for a three-year period to
reduce the number of uninsured children by advancing Medicaid/CHIP enrollment
and retention.
“No one should be left without access to critical health care, especially
during the pandemic,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier
Becerra. “This historic funding opportunity is part of the Biden-Harris
Administration’s ongoing efforts to get as many Americans covered with
affordable, quality health coverage. We encourage grassroots organizations
and other trusted voices to help us reach and enroll some of our
hardest-to-reach populations, including children and parents-to-be.”
“CMS is using every tool available to expand access to coverage and care,”
said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “The Biden-Harris
Administration is committed to advancing health equity, and encourages
organizations that serve children, their parents, and pregnant individuals in
diverse and underserved communities to apply. These organizations play a
pivotal role in connecting people to coverage since families and individuals
often seek help from community organizations they know and trust.”
Supporting President Joe Biden’s 2021 Executive Order on Strengthening Medicaid and the
Affordable Care Act, this notice of funding opportunity leverages
the Connecting Kids to Coverage program to continue making health care more
accessible and affordable. Funded organizations will provide enrollment and
renewal assistance to children and their families, as well as pregnant
people—a new optional target population in this year’s award announcement.
Applicants will be encouraged to consider a range of activities, including:
- Engaging schools and other programs serving young
people;
- Bridging racial and demographic health coverage
disparities by targeting communities with low coverage rates;
- Establishing and developing application assistance
resources to provide high-quality, reliable enrollment and renewal
services in local communities;
- Using social media to conduct virtual outreach and
enrollment assistance; and
- Using parent mentors and community health workers to
assist families with enrolling in Medicaid and CHIP, retaining coverage,
and addressing social determinants of health.
This unprecedented funding is vital to
making sure children are enrolled in coverage, especially those who are
eligible for but not yet enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP coverage. Studies show
that, of the approximately four million children who remain uninsured, 2.3
million are eligible for Medicaid and CHIP. Many families do not know that
their children may be eligible or understand how to enroll. Disparities also
remain particularly pronounced among specific groups. American Indian and
Alaska Native children experience the highest uninsured rate (11.8%), for
example, followed by Hispanic (11.4%) and non-Hispanic Black children (5.9%).
In addition, Medicaid and CHIP play a critical role by providing coverage for
over 42% of births in the nation, nearly half of which are to Black,
Hispanic, or American Indian/Alaskan Native individuals. Because Medicaid and
CHIP coverage is a key step in ensuring access to necessary prenatal care and
healthy birth outcomes, this funding opportunity is including pregnant
individuals as a new target population. Expanding the outreach target
population to include pregnant individuals will also directly lead to
increased enrollment of eligible children in Medicaid and CHIP; generally,
the infants born to individuals who are enrolled in these programs at the
time of birth are automatically deemed eligible for Medicaid and CHIP for one
year.
The Helping Ensure Access for Little Ones, Toddlers, and Hopeful Youth by
Keeping Insurance Delivery Stable Act of 2017 (HEALTHY KIDS Act) provided continued funding
for outreach and enrollment aimed at reducing the number of children who are
eligible for, but not enrolled/retained in, Medicaid and CHIP. Since 2009,
$216 million has been awarded to more than 294 community-based organizations,
states, and local governments to support the enrollment and retention of
eligible children in Medicaid and CHIP.
Applications will be
accepted through March 28, 2022. For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=337485.
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