AmeriCorps Members increase enrollment in Medicaid/CHIP and preventive care utilization at a community health center

Abstract

Background: Uninsured children have less access than others to primary care; Latino children are more likely than non-Latino children to be uninsured.

Objectives: 1. Determine whether case management (CM) by AmeriCorps Members (ACM) increases enrollment of children in Medicaid/CHIP at a federally qualified community health center (FQHC); 2. Identify factors associated with non-enrollment; 3. Compare health care utilization by enrolled and non-enrolled children.

Methods: Parents of uninsured children at two urban FQHCs serving primarily Latino families were offered CM assistance for enrollment in Medicaid/CHIP at one of the clinics. Application instructions alone were provided at the other clinic. Results. Of 107 children at the CM clinic, 74% were enrolled compared with 26% of the 96 from the non-CM clinic. Non-enrolled children completed fewer preventive care visits than enrolled children despite sliding fees at both FQHCs.

Conclusion: Case management by ACM is a low-cost, effective approach to increasing access to care for Latino children.