Children’s Health Insurance Program Enrollment Expands in Flint

October 20, 2016 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced earlier this month in a press release that it will be awarding $300,000 to the Greater Flint Health Coalition (GFHC) so that more children in Flint, Michigan will be connected to Medicaid coverage and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). These funds are meant to alleviate the public health emergency in Flint due to water contamination and lead exposure.

The funds awarded to the Greater Flint Health Coalition will allow the organization to expand their outreach efforts to enroll more children in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. This will help ensure that children and teenagers obtain healthcare access due to potential lead exposure in the contaminated Flint water system.

“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 wellbeing of children in Flint,” Vikki Wachino, CMS Deputy Administrator and Director, Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, said in a public statement.

Additionally, families who have Medicaid beneficiaries will also be connected to additional resources that could assist with any social services needs. CMS also offered the funding opportunity in order to help hire an outreach and enrollment coordinator to assist families and educate them about the Medicaid and CHIP coverage benefits that are available to children who’ve been exposed to lead in contaminated waters.

The $300,000 in funds will also be used to work with schools, state government agencies, and safety net medical facilities to help enroll more families in the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Medicaid coverage as well as educate about these coverage plans’ benefits.

The Greater Flint Health Coalition will also move forward with identifying the youth that is eligible for enrolling in the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Medicaid plans as well as helping families with filling out applications and renewals.

“Greater Flint Health Coalition is uniquely positioned to help support families in gaining access to Medicaid and other supports,” Dr. Nicole Lurie, federal official overseeing the federal government’s response to the public health crisis, stated in the press release.  “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.”

The CMS award is part of the Connecting Kids to Coverage outreach program, which was established due to the passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). The Connecting Kids to Coverage initiative is meant to help find children who are eligible for CHIP or Medicaid coverage and assist families in enrolling as well as renewing health plans. The program has shown to increase the number of enrolled children in these public coverage options.

In March 2016, CMS authorized the 1115 demonstration in Michigan, which expanded Medicaid coverage for children and youth up to 21 years of age as well as pregnant women at 400 percent of the federal poverty level who had been exposed to the Flint water system.

As previously reported, about 15,000 more children and pregnant women in Flint, Michigan were offered Medicaid coverage earlier this year. Also, about 30,000 Medicaid beneficiaries were given access to more medical services.

“Connecting children to primary care providers who can follow their health as they grow and develop is a critical component of this response and recovery effort,” Dr. Nicole Lurie, HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, said in a public statement. “The expanded benefits available through this Medicaid waiver give parents in Flint access to this type of care and support that may be needed to help their children overcome possible effects of high lead exposure. The ultimate goal is for children to thrive.”

Both children and pregnant women eligible for the extended Medicaid coverage must have income at no more than 400 percent of the federal poverty level. These individuals will also be eligible for unsubsidized health insurance as well.

Beneficiaries will not be required to pay premiums or cost sharing and will have access to blood tests for finding lead levels, mental and behavioral healthcare, case management services, and some other types of medical assistance.

Flint residents will be able to obtain medical, educational, and social services due to the public health crisis of lead contaminated water systems. The funding will last five years and will also look to provide access to safe drinking water and bottled water distribution.

The federal government has been effective at responding to the public health crisis in Flint, Michigan and expanding enrollment for the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

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