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Executive Summary Children's Health Coverage in Contra Costa County
Memorandum
To:
Family and Human Services Committee
John Gioia, Supervisor, District 1
Mark DeSaulinier, Supervisor, District 4
From: Wendel Brunner, MD, Director of Public Health
By: Cheri Pies, MSW, DrPH,
Director, Family, Maternal and Child Health Programs
RE: Executive Summary
Children's Health Coverage in Contra Costa County
Date: September 7, 2004
Through collaborative efforts with other county agencies and community-based organizations, Contra Costa Health Services continued to focus on outreach, enrollment and retention efforts to increase and improve access to care for families and children in our county during the past year. We have been successful in collaborating with community partners, including schools, and linking families with health coverage programs. Below is a brief description of the outreach, enrollment, and retention activities that occurred during the past year.
Recommendations
- Maintain and monitor success of outreach and enrollment efforts in schools throughout the county.
- Identify data sources that provide current information regarding the number of individuals enrolled in the various health coverage programs.
- Assess the feasibility of creating a database or web-based system to coordinate the enrollment process among county departments to increase enrollment and eliminate duplication.
- Continue to promote a consistent message that serves to educate community residents about the importance of health coverage now and in the future.
- Secure funding to print and distribute materials for the "It's No Secret" media campaign designed to encourage parents to obtain health coverage for their children.
- Encourage the Board of Supervisors to identify access to care and achieving health coverage for all in Contra Costa County as a special focus for 2005.
Overview Of Accomplishments And Efforts For FY 2003-2004
Outreach
- Updated the Health Coverage Programs for Children & Youth brochure in June 2004 (see attached sample copy).
- The Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) Program collaborated with four school districts to implement a new outreach strategy. The project involves sending a mini-survey to all parents of elementary students to assess their current insurance status and to provide them with the opportunity to obtain assistance in applying for a health coverage program. CHDP staff will follow up with all families that indicate an interest in receiving assistance. Additional strategies involve attending Back-To-School events, publishing mini-articles in school newsletters and participating in public health campaigns.
- Updated the Contra Costa Crisis Online Resource Directory's Quick Picks pamphlet and assisted in distributing throughout the county.
- Coordinated trainings, workshops and presentations on how to access health coverage programs with the Home Visiting program supervisors, fathers support groups, and staff in the following programs: Head Start, WIC, Healthy Start, STAND!, and Alcohol and Other Drugs Services.
- Developed a media campaign, "It's No Secret," to encourage parents to obtain health coverage for their children.
- Drafted an events calendar and newsletter, and updated the Health Insurance page on CCHS's website.
- Received 6,216 visits to the Insurance Page on our website during the year, with the Adult Health Insurance Page having 3,284 visits and Children and Youth Health Insurance having 1,335 visits.
- Hosted the Health Access to Care Summit in January 2004 attended by 80 representatives from county and community-based organizations and groups.
Enrollment
- During fiscal year 2003-04, the Basic Health Care program averaged 1,225 new members per month, with approximately 10% being children who are ineligible for full-scope Medi-Cal or Healthy Families.
- Enrolled and provided services to 6,584 children through the CHDP Gateway program.
- Completed 628 Presumptive Eligibility applications this past year as compared to 197 for FY 02-03 and 180 for FY 01-02.
- Answered an average of 800 calls per day from families and adults seeking information and enrollment assistance from CCHS Financial Counselors.
- Received and assisted a total of 1,647 callers who contacted us directly through the Health Access Line (1-888-503-9350).
- Provided Medi-Cal/Healthy Families Application Assistance to 1,679 families.
Retention
- In an effort to ensure that all babies born in Contra Costa County have health insurance, CCHS (Financial Counseling, Medical Records, Public Health), and EHSD (Medi-Cal Unit) developed a seamless process to enroll newborns on Medi-Cal.
- Retained 1,902 babies on Medi-Cal to ensure continuous coverage during their first year of life.
- Contra Costa Health Plan telephoned and welcomed 6,411 new member households.
- A total of 1,150 Healthy Families Program Members households were reached during the Healthy Families Open Enrollment period to ensure that they continued their health coverage with the Contra Costa Health Plan.
- The Contra Costa Health Plan initiated the "Good Health Check-Up" in June 2004, and reached 561 households and set appointments for over 166 Medi-Cal members.
- Continued to recruit pediatricians and dentists to become Medi-Cal, Denti-Cal, and/or CHDP providers.
Read Full Report (283k PDF, 8pp.).
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