Conferences and Events
Connecting Kids to Coverage: 2nd National Children's Health Insurance Summit
The Summit, held in Chicago from November 1-3, 2011, brought together CHIPRA outreach grantees, State agencies, Tribes, health care providers, nonprofit groups, researchers, advocates and others focused on reaching out, enrolling and retaining eligible children in Medicaid and CHIP. For two and a half days, nearly 400 attendees from all over the country participated in a wide range of substantive workshops and communications skill-building sessions designed to share effective strategies and innovative approaches to outreach and enrollment.
Summit Highlights
Medicaid and CHIP Consumer Survey
Michael Perry of Lake Research partners presented findings from a new CMS report, "Parents' Views of CHIP and Medicaid: Snapshot of Findings from a Survey of Low-Income Parents" in which parents gave the programs high consumer satisfaction ratings. The survey was conducted with 1,936 parents with family incomes below 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), including parents of uninsured children, children with Medicaid or CHIP, and children covered under employer-based insurance. The survey findings also provide insight into the methods parents prefer for completing applications and the settings in which outreach messages are most likely to be effective. Highlights of the survey include:
- Positive views of Medicaid and CHIP: Seven in ten of the low-income parents surveyed say the Medicaid and CHIP programs are “very good” or “somewhat good.”
- Medicaid and CHIP rate more favorably than employer coverage among low-income parents: oOverall satisfaction: 66 percent of low-income parents surveyed said they were “very satisfied” with the Medicaid and CHIP programs, compared with 48 percent who said they were “very satisfied” with employer coverage.
- Quality of care: 66 percent of low-income parents with a child in Medicaid or CHIP said they were “very satisfied” with the quality of care, compared to 55 percent with employer coverage.
- Access to Care: 62 percent of low-income parents with a child covered under Medicaid or CHIP said they were “very satisfied” with the ease of finding a doctor who takes the child’s insurance, as compared with 58 percent with employer coverage.
- Getting an appointment: 57 percent of low-income parents with a child enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP said they were “very satisfied” with how quickly they could get an appointment with a medical doctor, as compared to 53 percent with employer coverage.
- Peace of mind, affordability motivate parents to enroll their children: Seventy-one percent (71%) of low-income parents say that “getting peace of mind” is a “very motivating” factor for enrolling their child in Medicaid or CHIP. Seventy percent (70%) of parents whose children were enrolled in the programs at the time of the survey said they were “very motivated” to enroll by finding out that the coverage was something they could afford.
Technology Fair
The Technology Fair showcased leaders from across the country who are breaking new ground, using technology to advance their outreach and enrollment efforts. Putting technology to work to reach out, enroll and retain eligible children is a priority for the second round of CHIPRA outreach grants, awarded August 18, 2011.
The presentations focused on how technology is making systems more efficient and is improving consumer service. The presenters’ promising tools include:
- Covering Kids & Families-Wisconsin: BadgerCare+ Toolbox of School-Based Outreach Materials
- Insure Kids Now.gov Mobile Website
- Insure New Mexico Enrollment Kiosks
- Michigan Primary Care Association
- Oklahoma Health Care Authority’s SoonerCare Online Enrollment
- Social Interest Solutions’ One-e-App
- text4baby
- Utah Department of Workforce Services
Walk in… My Shoes
Eighty conference participants experienced a thought-provoking activity designed to provide important insights into the challenges confronting uninsured, low-income families seeking health coverage and care.
Participants assumed the role of a family with a specified ethnicity, language, immigration status, set of health problems, employment situation, and insurance coverage. Then, for 60 minutes, they ‘walked in these shoes,’ as they attempted to obtain the health care ‘their family’ needed. As they visited any of a dozen ‘stations,’ including State agencies, a health plan, a community health center, private doctors’ offices, a pharmacy and the ER, participants gained new perspectives on the barriers families face and the choices they are sometimes compelled to make.
Later, participants joined together for an in-depth discussion that helped relate the activity to real-life experiences and draw implications for outreach work.
ECHOE Awards
The National Children’s Health Insurance Summit also featured the first presentation of the Excellence in Children’s Health Outreach and Enrollment (ECHOE) honors — recognizing 10 individuals or organizations that have displayed leadership and innovation in Medicaid and CHIP outreach, enrollment and retention. The following honorees are well known and respected among their peers and each has made a unique contribution toward advancing children’s coverage.
Dayanne Leal
Health Care for All, Massachusetts
Ann Bacharach
Pennsylvania Health Law Program
Jodi Ray
Florida Covering Kids and Families
Gale Marshall
Two Feathers Media
Phillip Bergquist
Michigan Primary Care Association
Ruth Kennedy
Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals
Cathy Kaufmann
Oregon Healthy Kids
The Oklahoma Health Care Authority
The Children’s Defense Fund of Texas
The Oglala Sioux Tribe
Conference Presentations
Plenary Sessions
What Parents Say About Medicaid and CHIP: Findings from a National Survey
Take a Giant Step: Two States Discuss Their Remarkable Progress Enrolling Children in Health Coverage
As the World Turns to 2014: Outreach and Enrollment Evolve
Breakout Sessions
A-Plus Strategies: Engaging Schools to Help Get Children Enrolled
Reaching Out to Immigrant Families
It’s in Your Hands: Using Cell Phones and Text-Messaging to Advance Outreach and Enrollment
Putting Outreach on the Business Community’s Agenda
Research Round-Up: What Does the Latest Research Tell Us About Outreach and Enrollment
States Get on the Road: Early Efforts to Implement Express Lane Eligibility
Click to Sign Up: Consumer-Friendly Online Applications
Effective Outreach in Indian Country
Enrolling Children When They Seek Care: The Role of Community Health Centers
Focus on Renewals: Keeping Eligible Kids Covered
Engaging Local Governments to Help Get Children Covered
Communications Skill-Building
- Message and Materials Clinic- Alison Betty
- Blogfest!
- Using Twitter and Facebook- Richie Frieman
- Delivering Your Elevator Speech- Colleen Chapman
The Personal Touch: Delivering Community-Based Application Assistance
Reaching Out in Rural Areas
Big Brothers, Big Sisters: Getting Teens Enrolled in Coverage
Across the Great Divide: Making Connections in Tribal Communities
More A-Plus Strategies for Engaging Schools in Outreach and Enrollment
Using Data to Guide Outreach, Enrollment and Renewal Activities