‘One-on-One’ Approach Best Enrollment Method for CHIP, Virginia Outreach Workers Say

Some outreach workers in Virginia have found that a "one-on-one" approach is the best way to help families enroll in the state's CHIP program, called Family Access to Medical Insurance Security, the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot reports. While the state has made FAMIS applications available in schools, day-care centers and churches, the Virginian-Pilot reports that such outreach efforts have not been as successful as working one-on-one with families to fill out the applications. For example, the Chesapeake Health Investment Program, backed by a $33,000 state grant to help families with the FAMIS or Medicaid application processes, finds uninsured families through referrals from physicians. Brinada Miller, who works on the program, said, "Sometimes there's a fine line between whether [families] qualify or not ... and instead of finding out, they just say no." Linda Nablo, project director for Sign Up Now, another group working on outreach efforts, added, "What we have learned is if you have a difficult process, which Virginia does, you have to have one-on-one assistance." She said, "The simpler the process, the less of that you need. But in this state, there needs to be a lot of hand-holding and working through the system." Virginia has made some changes to its application process, such as shortening the enrollment form. In addition, the state has lessened the time families must be uninsured before applying for FAMIS. But "hurdles" to enrollment still remain, the Virginian-Pilot reports. For example, a study by the state Legislature's Audit and Review Commission suggested better coordination between Medicaid and FAMIS to transfer families from one program to the other if their eligibility changes. Since it began in 1998, FAMIS has enrolled about 39,000 children, just more than half of the estimated 63,200 who are eligible. Another 70,000 uninsured children are thought to be eligible for Medicaid (Simpson, Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, 3/7).