Enrollment

Many state Title V programs aim to increase insurance enrollment among CYSHCN. Facilitating enrollment support, either directly or through partnerships with other organizations, can increase families’ ability to access health care services and reduce out-of-pocket costs.

Enrollment Navigation and Support

In several states, Title V and health department staff facilitate insurance enrollment and ensure that families are receiving the most complete benefits package they are eligible for. Often, when families enroll in state CYSHCN programs, staff will assist with insurance enrollment if the family does not already have coverage. In Alabama, Medicaid, CHIP, and marketplace eligibility is determined through a single application process through which Title V staff assist families.

Some CYSHCN programs support health insurance enrollment as part of their care coordination services. In Georgia, assessing insurance coverage is one of the first steps when a care coordinator receives a referral. Care coordinators in New Hampshire explain Medicaid options and available programs to families and provide enrollment support as well as refer families to Family-to-Family Health Information Centers for additional enrollment support.

To assist families who do not qualify for Medicaid, some Title V programs fund training for staff members to become Marketplace navigators or provide funding to family leader organizations to train their staff. For example, in Indiana, all staff members who work for the Maternal and Child Health Helpline are certified Marketplace navigators.

Identifying Uninsured Children

Missouri’s School Health Program encourages school nurses to assess insurance status when conducting start-of-year health assessments for CYSHCN. When uninsured children are identified, the school nurses provide informational materials about enrollment to the family.

Leveraging Family Leader Expertise and Community Partnerships to Support Enrollment

Some Title V agencies and family leader organizations maintain relationships with organizations in their state that provide enrollment support. For example, the Indiana Title V program partners with the organization Covering Kids and Families of Indiana, which provides enrollment support for public and private insurance options and can meet with families in their home or a convenient community location. In South Carolina, South Carolina Thrive provides enrollment counseling and works with family leader organizations when CYSHCN-specific expertise is needed.