Alameda Health Consortium

THE RECESS PROJECT (RETAINING EVERY CHILD: ENROLLMENT SUPPORT SERVICES) - PROJECT ABSTRACT: RETAINING EVERY CHILD: ENROLLMENT SUPPORT SERVICES (RECESS) PROJECT ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, SITUATED EAST OF SAN FRANCISCO, IS HOME TO 1.6 MILLION PEOPLE AND IS AMONG THE MOST ETHNICALLY DIVERSE COUNTIES. ALAMEDA COUNTY COVERS 14 CITIES AND UNINCORPORATED RURAL AREAS, INCLUDING OAKLAND, HAYWARD, FREMONT, AND BERKELEY. ACCORDING TO THE 2020 U. S. CENSUS BUREAU, IT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 4,291 (5.6%) UNINSURED CHILDREN IN ALAMEDA COUNTY WHO ARE ELIGIBLE, BUT NOT ENROLLED IN MEDICAID OR CHIP PUBLIC PROGRAMS. ACCORDING TO THE HEALTHY ALAMEDA COUNTY DATA PUBLICATION APPROXIMATELY 7,071 CHILDREN IN ALAMEDA COUNTY ARE CURRENTLY UNINSURED. 1 IN 9 UNINSURED CHILDREN (11.4%) ARE LIVING BELOW 200% OF THE POVERTY LEVEL IN ALMEDA COUNTY. CLEARLY, THERE IS A NEED TO ENHANCE OUR CURRENT EFFORTS TO HELP ELIGIBLE CHILDREN AND THEIR PATENTS ENROLL IN MEDICAID AND CHIP AND RETAIN THEIR BENEFITS. THE RETAINING EVERY CHILD: ENROLLMENT SUPPORT SERVICES (RECESS) PROJECT IS A COLLABORATION OF EIGHT FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS IN ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. THE ALAMEDA HEALTH CONSORTIUM IS A NON-PROFIT ASSOCIATION OF THESE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS AND THE DESIGNATED LEAD AGENCY FOR THE RECESS PROJECT. OUR GOAL IS TWO-FOLD TO DECREASE THE NUMBER OF UNINSURED AMONG LOW-INCOME, UNDERSERVED CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS IN ALAMEDA COUNTY BY ENROLLING INTO MEDICAID/CHIP; AND TO INCREASE THE RETENTION RATE AMONG CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN MEDICAID/CHIP THROUGH RENEWAL OUTREACH SUPPORT AND VARIOUS RETENTION INTERVENTIONS. THROUGH OUR THREE-YEAR RECESS PROJECT, WE AIM TO ENROLL 4,500 ELIGIBLE CHILDREN INTO MEDICAID/CHIP AND ASSIST WITH 10,800 ANNUAL RENEWALS. ADDITIONALLY, WE WILL BE TARGETING ELIGIBLE PARENTS IN OUR ENROLLMENT AND RETENTION EFFORTS. WE PLAN TO ENROLL 2,550 ELIGIBLE PARENTS INTO MEDICAID AND ASSIST WITH 7,500 ANNUAL RENEWALS. OUR RETENTION EFFORTS WILL BE CRITICAL POST-PANDEMIC TO HELP CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS MAINTAIN CONTINUOUS COVERAGE DURING THE PROJECT PERIOD. TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS, WE ARE REQUESTING $1,500,000 FOR THE THREE-YEAR GRANT PERIOD FOR OUR RECESS PROJECT. THESE FUNDS WILL SUPPORT THE MEDICAID/CHIP OUTREACH, ENROLLMENT, AND RETENTION EFFORTS PERFORMED BY AHC AND OUR EIGHT MEMBER HEALTH CENTERS THROUGH THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIES: - STRATEGY #1: PROVIDE ONE-ON-ONE APPLICATION ASSISTANCE AT COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS AND IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES FOR CHILDREN AND PARENTS ELIGIBLE TO NEWLY ENROLL IN MEDICAID/CHIP. ASSISTANCE WILL BE PERFORMED YEAR-ROUND; PARTICULARLY DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT TO EDUCATE ON ENROLLMENT INTO MEDICAID/CHIP BEING YEAR-ROUND. APPLICATION ASSISTANCE WILL BE PROVIDED IN A CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY RESPONSIVE MANNER TO MEET THE PERSONAL LANGUAGE NEEDS FOR THE FAMILIES. - STRATEGY #2: CONDUCT A BACK-TO-SCHOOL CAMPAIGN IN OUR AFFILIATED THIRTY-FIVE SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS TO EDUCATE FAMILIES ABOUT MEDICAID/CHIP PROGRAMS. ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE DISTRIBUTING ENROLLMENT AND RENEWAL MATERIALS TO EDUCATE RECIPIENTS ABOUT ENROLLING IN AND RENEWING THEIR BENEFITS ON TIME. - STRATEGY #3: CONTACT AND EDUCATE FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN MEDICAID/CHIP ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF RETAINING HEALTH COVERAGE. ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE MAKING REMINDER PHONE CALLS TO MEDICAID/CHIP RECIPIENTS UP FOR AN ANNUAL RENEWAL, MAILING MONTHLY REMINDER RENEWAL NOTICES, AND PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ALERTS TO FLAG RECIPIENTS AT THE POINT OF SERVICE. EFFORTS WILL ALSO FOCUS ON A CAMPAIGN TO UPDATE CONTACT INFORMATION TO ELIMINATE ANY DROPS IN COVERAGE DURING THE PROCESSING OF ANNUAL RENEWALS.

THE RECESS PROJECT (RETAINING EVERY CHILD: ENROLLMENT SUPPORT SERVICES)

MEDICAL ACCESS AND CHIP REAUTHORIZATION ACT (MACRA) FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: CONNECTING KIDS TO COVERAGE: OUTREACH AND ENROLLMENT COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS

CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM OUTREACH AND ENROLLMENT GRANT