CMS has announced plans for continuing its efforts to engage states and stakeholders in its “Connecting Kids to Coverage” Campaign. The re-energized outreach and marketing campaign will include new toolkits, trainings/webinars, organizational and corporate partnership outreach support, earned media support and expertise in reaching key audiences. While efforts will be ongoing, the campaign will also create “waves of activities” around “cold and flu season” in the winter, “allergy and asthma season” in the spring, and “back to school” in the summer.
Over the coming months, new customizable material templates, including fliers, posters, palm cards and PSAs in both English and Spanish, will be available for download. The campaign will host a number of training opportunities on the “wave activities” noted above, including partnership outreach, messages/messengers, working with the media, reaching diverse audiences, working with teens, social media and web/mobile marketing. Media activities will target six states with high numbers of uninsured children: California, Florida, Georgia, New York, Ohio and Texas.
Regionally-based field managers are available to provide technical assistance and assist groups doing outreach and enrollment activities with event planning, messaging, template materials, partnerships, earned media and PSA placements. To contact the field team, you can call 1-866-313-KIDS. Your call or e-mail will automatically be directed to the manager in your region and their goal is to respond within one business day.
Although focused on currently eligible but not enrolled children, overall the campaign sounds like a great way to build excitement and create momentum as we gear up for 2014. Oh and by the way, for those who were hopeful that CMS would announce the third round of CHIPRA outreach grants on today’s webinar announcing the 2013 campaign, sorry. But our friends at CMS noted that everyone should be on the outlook for the grant announcement in the near future.
For more information on Connecting Kids to Coverage, go to www.insurekidsnow.gov.
