Boulder County’s Focus on early intervention and outreach helps state secure additional Medicaid dollars

Boulder County Healthy Kids initiative helps families secure preventative healthcare, leading to healthier families and fewer intensive, costly services

Boulder County, Colo. – Colorado’s Medicaid Performance Bonus has nearly doubled for 2011, reflecting the crucial work being done by entities like Boulder County in getting children enrolled in the federal program.

In 2009, President Obama signed into law a reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) that included a Performance Bonus incentive for states that succeed in enrolling Medicaid-eligible children above target levels. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius announced on Wednesday that Colorado will receive over $26 million in bonus Medicaid funding. The state received $13.7 million in 2010.

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Colorado’s award was the third largest in the U.S., behind only Maryland and Virginia. This year, the state achieved a “Tier 2” bonus payment by exceeding target enrollment by more than 10%, an accomplishment which is rewarded at a higher rate.

States that qualify for bonuses have used strategies like cutting red tape and streamlining procedures to make enrollment easier. Boulder County’s recent focus on getting adults and children enrolled in Medicaid and CHP+, Colorado’s low-cost health plan for children, has contributed significantly to the state’s overall increase. Over the past four years, Boulder County’s Medicaid enrollment has increased 73%. In comparison, during this same period the ten largest Colorado counties have seen a 51% rise in enrollment numbers and Maximus (the state’s Medicaid and CHP+ contractor) has had a 42% increase.

One of the reasons for this difference is Boulder County Healthy Kids (BCHK), an outreach initiative which was launched in July 2008. BCHK works to improve child health by linking all eligible children, families, and pregnant women in Boulder County to available benefits and health coverage options. BCHK has created partnerships with both the Boulder Valley and St. Vrain School Districts, Salud Family Health Centers in Longmont, and Clinica Family Health Services in Boulder.

The program has stationed eligibility technicians in these locations to help identify need and enroll children and families. It is part of an early intervention model that Boulder County’s Housing and Human Services Department has implemented along with community partners and non-profits. The belief is that the earlier those in need access services, the better it is for them and for the community, as more intensive services down the line become more difficult and more expensive. Since 2008, BCHK has helped nearly 6,500 clients enroll in Medicaid and CHP+.

Boulder County Health Kids Manager Mae Hsu notes BCHK’s success rate. “We know that 98% of families who apply for medical benefits through Healthy Kids secure Medicaid or CHP+ coverage,” she says. “A big reason for that is our staff, who aim to make the enrollment process smooth and easy by helping families obtain all the documentation and information necessary for their applications.” In addition, she adds, through funding from the Colorado Health Foundation and The Colorado Trust, BCHK is able to assist families who are unable to pay the CHP+ enrollment fee.

The National Center for Health Statistics reports that since the Medicaid Performance Bonus was enacted, an additional 1.2 million children have been added to health insurance rolls around the U.S. At the same time, the Colorado Health Foundation’s 2010 Health Report Card indicated that while the trend is also positive for the Centennial State, in terms of getting its children insured, Colorado still ranks 44th in the U.S., with 105,000 of its children without health insurance.

Boulder County Housing and Human Services Director Frank Alexander stresses that while he is happy to see the federal recognition of Colorado’s and Boulder County’s efforts to turn this around, much work remains to be done. “It’s heartening to know that our proactive, preventive approach to connecting those in need in our community with services is working,” Alexander says. “But we still have large numbers of uninsured children and families who need to know where to go now for help, so we will continue to reach out to them in new and innovative ways.”