Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
Simplified or joint forms, the elimination of face-to-face interviews, a centralized system for eligibility processing and presumptive eligibility were among policy changes made to some states’ SCHIP and Medicaid programs that increased new enrollment numbers, according to a RWJF report.
An evaluation of the foundation’s Covering Kids & Families (CKF) initiative, which is designed to increase enrollment in these children’s coverage programs through funding grants, the report summarized the overarching findings from 10 CKF grantee states that served as case studies.
According to the report, state budget issues led to decreases in new enrollment for some of the programs. Other programs froze enrollment entirely, cut back on outreach or restricted benefits in response to budget cuts, the report said.
Still, some states saw increased enrollment due to one-on-one methods of outreach within and around schools. Some of the most promising school-based outreach efforts occurred in Kentucky, Missouri and Virginia, the report stated. Free, 16 pages. (877) 843-7953, http://www.rwjf.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/research/51353.ckfsynthesis.3953.pdf.
