Increase Outreach and EnrollmentClaudia Parra, a medical assistant at Clinica Tepeyac, is part of a network of health care providers working to identify and enroll eligible, but uninsured, children and youth in Medicaid and CHP+.
EXPANDING OUTREACH & ENROLLMENT FOR
CHILDREN & YOUTH
Of the estimated 155,000 Colorado children without health coverage, some two-thirds have a family income that qualifies them for public coverage. Data from the Colorado Health Institute show that about 59,000 children are income-eligible for Medicaid coverage, but are not enrolled; an additional 41,000 are eligible for Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) - Colorado's version of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

While it is anticipated that Congress will reauthorize and expand SCHIP in 2009, enrollment gaps persist due to rising health care costs and other barriers. To proactively expand outreach and enrollment for children and youth statewide, The Colorado Trust has awarded $3.25 million over three years (2008-2011) to the following 18 grantees:
1. Boulder County Community Services
2. Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver
3. Boys & Girls Club/Girls Inc. of Pueblo County & Lower Arkansas Valley
4. Chaffee County Department of Health and Human Services
5. Clínica Tepeyac
6. Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
7. Denver Children's Advocacy Center
8. Denver Public Schools
9. Family Resource Center Association, Inc.
10. Hilltop Community Resources
11. Hope Communities
12. Inner City Health Center
13. Interfaith Hospitality Network of Colorado Springs
14. Mayor's Office for Education and Children
15. Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association
16. Parkview Medical Center
17. The Gathering Place
18. YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region

These grantees represent county-coordinated collaborations; after-school programs; clinics; agencies serving low-income families, homeless families and abused children; a school district; and an affordable housing provider. All are working to identify and enroll eligible, but uninsured, children and youth in Medicaid and CHP+. Several grantees will also participate in a Trust-funded evaluation conducted by the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center to assess program effectiveness and identify models for replication.

Learn more about how grantee Clínica Tepeyac is providing health care services for the medically underserved. For more information about The Trust's work to increase outreach and enrollment, contact Deidre Johnson, Program Officer, 303-837-1200, deidre@coloradotrust.org.