At the beginning of the year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) committed to a record $49.4 million to fund a variety of organizations in an effort to expand healthcare coverage for children, parents, and pregnant individuals. This initiative to expand will be through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Who Will Receive Funding?
CMS will award funding to a variety of organizations including, state and local governments, tribal organizations, federal health safety organizations, non-profit organizations, and schools among others. Each organization will receive up to $1.5 million over a three-year period. By funding these organizations to improve the quality of care and the resources organizations have, the goal is to not only advance enrollment but increase retention to decrease the number of uninsured children.
There are an estimated four million uninsured children with more than half of them being eligible for Medicaid and CHIP but are not enrolled. Those organizations receiving funding are encouraged to consider a variety of tactics to improve healthcare knowledge and accessibility including:
- More engaging health programs in schools
- Targeting communities with demographic healthcare gaps with low coverage rates
- Revamp existing and establish new resources in local communities to raise awareness and assist with applications for enrollment to proper healthcare
- Increase mentorship opportunities to assist families with awareness and guidance for enrolling in Medicaid and CHIP, and to educate them on the services provided
Commitment to Expanding Health Care
The Biden-Harris Administration has continually shown a commitment to furthering the accessibility and quality of healthcare to all Americans. In 2021 President Biden ordered efforts to strengthen Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act and this funding is a result of that initiative. This commitment will not only allow funded organizations to further serve children and their families but make health care more affordable.
This funding initiative is an instrumental investment to healthcare as it is targeting a new population in coverage for pregnant individuals. Medicaid and CHIP provides coverage for approximately 42% of births across the country and the funding opportunity offered to pregnant individuals will help to ensure access to the appropriate prenatal and after-birth care for healthy birth outcomes. Children who are born to parents who are enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP will be automatically deemed eligible for coverage for one year.
This unprecedented amount of funding will not only provide individuals of each stage of the lifecycle with increased access to affordable healthcare but increase the awareness and initiatives of programs providing Americans with the knowledge and resources needed to enroll in the appropriate coverage programs.
