Yesterday, Secretary Sebelius awarded $40 million to 69 grantees in 41 states and the District of Columbia to find and enroll children who are uninsured but eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. This is the first round of outreach and enrollment grants funded through the Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA), which was signed by President Obama in February 2009. CHIPRA provides $10 million each for a national enrollment campaign and outreach to American Natives. In addition to the $40 million in grants awarded yesterday, there is an additional $40 million that will be awarded in future grant rounds to states and other qualifying organizations.

Projects targeting outreach to children in families with limited English proficiency and other ethnic and cultural barriers were the big winners in this first round of CHIPRA grants, accounting for nearly one-third of the grants. Initiatives focused on school-based outreach, activities coordinated by community health centers and projects targeting rural children were also popular.

Notably, the majority of grantees are community-based organizations or coalitions, with only ten grants awarded to state agencies with primary responsibility for administering Medicaid and CHIP. Awards ranged from $69,102 to $988,177 for the two-year grant period with more than one third of the grantees receiving more than $900,000 each.

The projects promote strong community-based strategies targeting vulnerable populations. What is less clear is whether these efforts will result in the policy simplifications and systemic changes that are known to reduce paperwork and remove administrative barriers to enrollment and retention. Grantees are required to demonstrate with data the extent to which their strategies result in enrollment and retention. Best practices and lessons learned will be documented and shared with other states and organizations committed to ensuring that all children eligible for Medicaid and CHIP receive the health care they need.