Identification

Outreach historically has been a key component of state efforts to identify and enroll eligible children in Medicaid and CHIP. States have utilized a variety of outreach methods to raise awareness of Medicaid and CHIP and help those who are eligible enroll or renew coverage. Community-based organizations such as  schools and community health centers, and state- and local advocacy organizations have proven effective in communicating messages to target populations and assisting in states’ enrollment efforts. When states have trained and worked with community-based organizations to provide application assistance, this assistance has lessened some cultural and language barriers and led to increased enrollment. The research literature suggests that personal interaction has a positive and significant impact on Medicaid and CHIP enrollment and can be highly effective.
 
Maximizing Enrollment will work to assist states in identifying which groups of children are still uninsured and to target strategies to reach them. Many states are particularly interested in how to increase enrollment among racial and ethnic minority populations including Latinos and Native Americans, and among those with limited English proficiency or low literacy, so findings in these areas will be particularly relevant. As new lessons are learned, Maximizing Enrollment will share information to enable other states and policymakers to implement effective strategies.