Models for Effective CHIP/Medicaid Outreach and Enrollment of Hard to Reach Children

CMS funded an outreach grant program to reduce the overall percentage of uninsured CHIP/Medicaid eligible children in this country. Realizing that the remaining unenrolled children were the most difficult to enroll, and specialized strategies would be needed, 107 organizations with credibility in communities where these children reside, received 2-year grants. 

We synthesized information from Grantees' reports, conducted telephone interviews, and produced standardized annual report summaries.  We also verified grantees’ tracking of applications and verified enrollments. Our evaluation showed that Grantees who met/exceeded enrollment goals employed  four strategies: (1) collaborations and partnerships with organizations that interact with families with eligible, but unenrolled, children; (2) providing application assistance at the point of entry into the health care system; (3) identifying children who are uninsured and contacting them by phone, mail, or in person to offer application assistance; and (4) providing outreach at events, combined with educational materials. Most strategies were used in combination, because multiple exposures to the Grantee and their message were usually necessary for a family to sit down with the outreach worker and fill out the CHIP/Medicaid application. Additionally Grantees found that strategies had to be tailored depending on the context in which they were used. Study results cover two grant groups (Cycle I & II), each with a 2-year grant from 2009 through 2013.