Providence, N.B. receive grants for insurance enrollment

WASHINGTON – Providence and New Bedford were among eight cities to receive grants from the National League of Cities to help implement outreach efforts to enroll children and families in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
The Cities Expanding Health Access for Children and Families Initiative aims to help cities implement comprehensive campaigns to enroll children and families in Medicaid and CHIP and reduce the uninsured rate for children and families by 50 percent in each of the cities. Families with health insurance reduce emergency-room visits, avoid crushing health care costs and have healthier children who perform better in school.
According to a news release, the cities were chosen based on the quality and feasibility of business plans that were submitted in the spring and will receive grants of up to $260,000.
In Providence, the Healthy Providence campaign will be led by the mayor’s Healthy Communities Office and focuses on new outreach strategies to reach the city’s eligible, but unenrolled, population. The campaign strategies include: school-based outreach and partnering with youth-based organizations to create peer-led outreach efforts.
In New Bedford, the city Health Department will lead the Health Access Kids New Bedford campaign in partnership with New Bedford Public Schools and community partners. In addition to reducing the number of eligible but unenrolled children and families, the campaign aims to establish a sustained culture of health quality, literacy and advocacy in the city. •

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