Local Organizations Play Key Role in Enrolling Children in CHIP, Study Finds:

Health care providers, schools, employers and community and religious groups can play key roles in identifying children who are eligible for the CHIP program but not enrolled, a study released Oct. 31 by the Center for Studying Health System Change says. Researchers interviewed state and local leaders, consumer advocates and health care providers in a dozen "nationally representative communities" about CHIP enrollment efforts. "What we found is that local people know their communities best and can customize [CHIP] outreach efforts to enroll eligible children," HSC researcher and lead study author Laurie Felland said (HSC release, 10/31). The study also found that local outreach efforts increase program participation because they involve organizations that "low-income families trust and have frequent contact with" (Felland/Benoit, "Communities Play Key Role in Extending Public Health Insurance to Children," 10/31). The study is available online.