Chief Patron: Lambert
Outreach-Children's Health Insurance

Item 318 #1s

Language
Page 244, line 5, strike "$44,964,220" and insert "$45,549,220".
Page 244, line 5, strike "$45,726,391" and insert "$46,311,391".
Page 244, after line 44 insert:
"D.  The Department shall develop a comprehensive, statewide community-based plan to enroll eligible children in its Title XXI plan.  The plan shall be developed and implemented in cooperation with public and private agencies and outreach programs.  The outreach plan shall include, but need not be limited to:  (i) a requirement that each regional social services agency hire an outreach coordinator; (ii) a blueprint developed with the Department of Education and the local school division superintendents for conducting outreach in public schools; (iii) procedures for directly contacting families who have received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families at any time since June 1997 whose children are not enrolled in Medicaid or Title XXI, and to provide such families with information and applications for health insurance; (iv) a requirement that in any locality in which 1,000 or more children are estimated to be eligible for Title XXI and enrollment is less than the statewide average enrollment, at least one caseworker shall be identified as the Children's Health Insurance Eligibility Specialist: (v) such other strategies for informing the parent of eligible children as may be appropriate, such as educational activities, public service announcements, targeted mailings and local community activities; and (vi) the establishment of an outreach oversight committee composed of representatives from community-based organizations engaged in outreach activities, social services eligibility workers, the provider community and consumers, which shall meet on a quarterly basis to discuss strategies to improve outreach activities.  As may be appropriate, the oversight committee shall make recommendations regarding state-level outreach activities, the coordination of regional and local outreach activities, and procedures for streamlining and simplifying the application process, brochures and other printed material, forms and applicant correspondence."

Explanation
(This amendment adds funds for outreach coordinators and eligibility workers for the new health insurance program for poor children. Language requires a plan for improving outreach activities.)