Press Releases

CMS Awards $300,000 to the Greater Flint Health Coalition to Help Reduce the Number of Uninsured Children in Flint, Michigan

CMS Awards $300,000 to the Greater Flint Health Coalition to Help Reduce the Number of Uninsured Children in Flint, Michigan

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today will award $300,000 to the Greater Flint Health Coalition (GFHC) in an effort to get more eligible children in Flint, Michigan enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and to help connect children to services. This award is in response to the public health emergency resulting from lead exposure related to the Flint water system.

This award will allow the GFHC to support and coordinate Medicaid and CHIP outreach and enrollment efforts in Flint, Michigan to address the health coverage needs of children exposed to lead related to the Flint water system. Medicaid enrollment in Flint also includes access to resources that will help connect children to additional services as needed.

“The award to the Greater Flint Health Coalition will help connect children and pregnant women served by the Flint water supply to critical health and developmental services. Access to these services will promote the health and well-being of children in Flint,” said Vikki Wachino, CMS deputy administrator and director, Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services.

Specifically, this award will be used to:

• Support the immediate need for an outreach and enrollment coordinator to educate families about the availability of important Medicaid and CHIP benefits for children impacted by the lead exposure,
• Support activities to educate families about the availability of free or low-cost health coverage under Medicaid and CHIP by engaging schools, safety net providers, and government organizations,
• Identify children likely to be eligible for Medicaid and CHIP, and
• Assist families with applications and renewals for these programs.

On March 3, 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved Michigan’s 1115 demonstration, extending Medicaid coverage and services to children up to age 21 years and to pregnant women with incomes up to and including 400 percent of the federal poverty level who were served by the Flint water system.

“Greater Flint Health Coalition is uniquely positioned to help support families in gaining access to Medicaid and other supports,” said Dr. Nicole Lurie, the lead federal official overseeing the federal government’s response to the Flint water crisis.  “GFHC’s long-term presence in the Flint community has made them a trusted community resource uniquely positioned to support children and families through this award.”

This award is part of the Connecting Kids to Coverage outreach and enrollment activities authorized by the bipartisan Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act legislation. Connecting Kids to Coverage outreach and enrollment funding supports activities aimed at identifying children who are eligible for Medicaid and CHIP and helping their families enroll and renew their coverage. Along with the National Connecting Kids to Coverage Campaign, these activities have helped boost enrollment of eligible children in Medicaid and CHIP. They have also helped to engage a wide range of partners in taking steps to make health coverage outreach and enrollment a part of their routine efforts to ensure the health and security of the nation’s children and their families.

For more information, please visit: http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/professionals/funding/history.html.

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