Connecting kids to coverage outreach and enrollment project - missouri has 55,000 children who are eligible for medicaid or chip but remain unenrolled

Legal services of eastern missouri (legal services) proposes to continue and expand upon its current connecting kids to coverage project to reach more vulnerable children and families in the state. The project will do so through expanded outreach, enrollment, and retention efforts in legal services' entire 21-county service area. The project will focus on three populations in eastern missouri with particularly low medicaid and chip enrollment rates: 1) youth under age 18 living in poverty in ST. Louis city and ST. Louis county, 2) vulnerable and underserved children in the 17 rural counties in legal services' service area, and 3) children experiencing homelessness. Data indicates that child uninsurance rates are higher in rural missouri than in urban areas, and homeless families are even more likely to lack adequate health insurance than low-income families. The project will also assist pregnant women and parents with medicaid enrollment and renewal. To reach these underserved populations, legal services will collaborate with schools/school districts, community organizations, and healthcare-focused organizations to conduct outreach, enrollment, and retention efforts in urban, suburban, and rural areas in eastern missouri. Over the five-year funding period, the project has the following goals: 1) to newly enroll or retain 1,725 eligible children in medicaid or chip; 2) to newly enroll 316 pregnant women; 3) to newly enroll or retain 402 parents in medicaid; and 5) to handle 2,750 medicaid enrollment and renewal requests through the project's helpline. In addition, the project will continue identifying and addressing systemic enrollment and retention barriers that contribute to gaps in coverage and are based on client experiences. As part of its outreach strategy, legal services will train at least 25 school nurses, 15 homeless enrollment coordinators, and five community partner agencies, with a focus on building relationships with new school districts and partners in underserved rural areas. Legal services respectfully requests funding in the amount of $2,167,058 over five years to continue and expand project services. The funding will support three full-time staff: a project director, outreach coordinator, and outreach and enrollment specialist, all of whom are currently employed, as well as 5% of a project supervisor's time. Legal services has been a successful connecting kids to coverage grant recipient for four consecutive cycles. In the past two grant cycles, project staff enrolled and retained 1,087 children in medicaid or chip. In the current grant cycle alone - with five months remaining in the cycle - staff has already enrolled and retained 808 children, 169 pregnant women, and 201 parents for a total of 1,178 people helped. Building on these years of success, the proposed project will ensure low-income missourians obtain health insurance coverage that provides meaningful access to care.