Dive Brief:
- CMS announced this week it will award a total of $32 million to 38 community organizations across 27 states to help get more eligible children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
- The efforts come as part of the Connecting Kids to Coverage campaign in its fourth cycle of outreach and enrollment grants.
- The awards were made possible through the bipartisan MACRA legislation.
Dive Insight:
The funding aims to help lower the U.S. uninsurance rate for children, which is already at a historic low with fewer than 1 in 20 kids remaining without coverage.
“Today’s awards will accelerate efforts in communities across America to continue this progress and reach millions of children who are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP but not yet enrolled,” Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell stated.
Targeted outreach strategies will include application assistance for those whose health coverage has been particularly lagging, including American Indian children, children with learning disabilities, children in rural communities, and teens, CMS wrote.
The awardees include states, school districts, and local community organizations.