Medicaid Outreach and Enrollment Strategies

With spring break just around the corner, and summer vacation not far after, this is a great time of year to think about your outreach strategies, and take advantage of opportunities to provide outreach.

For spring break, maybe call those who you’ve had trouble contacting in the past.  If you contacted folks in fall of last year, it’s a good time to try again.  Fall is impossibly busy for families, so try again!

Gather with staff and think about ways to be in the community, and school.  Look for places to partner with your school in end-of-year events (commencement, plays, awards ceremonies, sports, concert).  Ask if your school can send a flyer with their progress reports that advertises your services all summer long, including your Medicaid enrollment ability.   Ask for a few robo-calls (provide a script) to go out from the principal over the summer, encouraging families to use the center, and get sports physicals early!

Healthy MI Plan for families is a terrific way to provide stability for the kids we serve.  If families are healthy, they can work, and remain in steady housing.  Consider mailing information home about Healthy MI Plan.

Four things to impress upon families who just don’t want to bother with this:

• Expanded Medicaid through Healthy MI Plan is NOT the same as Medicaid insurance that you may have applied for prior to April 2014.

• Application is fairly fast and easy – income and ss# of family members is all that’s really needed to get an app going. There are no questions about assets (car, home, debts)  Those questions are reserved for all the other Medicaid Bundled services, but NOT for the insurance application.

• No need to be embarrassed by a “Medicaid” card for insurance – they will get an insurance card with an insurance company (plan) name on it.

• Costs for those under 100% of FPL are 0.  Those between 100 and 138% of FPL are 2% of their monthly income. You will not be canceled because you cannot make the payment.

I know it’s very difficult to convince families to enroll, but if we can quickly dispel some of the bias and misinformation right from the start, I think it gives us a better chance to convince them of the importance of improving their insurance status.

You have a good opportunity, being the trusted health care provider for their child.  You have a unique opportunity to help improve the health status of the whole family.  Call or e-mail if you have any other suggestions I can share, or if you have questions:  rturner@scha-mi.org, Phone:  517.908.0847, ext 222.