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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 11-03-1999 - 10a ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Action Agenda Item No. /O- «., ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: November 3, 1999 SUBJECT: Orange County Health Choice Report DEPARTMENT: Health and Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/1~ 11ro: ATTACHMENT(S): Activity Report INFORMATION CONTACT: Rosemary Summers or Marti Pryor-Cook TELEPHONE NUMBERS: - -ext. 2411 or 2802 Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 227-2031 PURPOSE: To provide an update on Orange County's progress in North Carolina Health Choice for Children Program BACKGROUND: In 1998, the legislature approved state funding to draw down federal dollars to provide health insurance for children up to 200% of the federal poverty level. The North Cazolina program became available for enrollment in October of 1998. Each county was required to establish a local coalition that would develop a plan to identify and enroll qualified children in this new health insurance program. The state estimated that Orange County had a tazget number of 474 children that would qualify for this program. By the end of August 1999, Orange County had achieved that number of enrollees. During this same period of time an additiona1444 children have been enrolled in Medicaid (Health Check) program. This means that over 900 children are now able to receive needed health caze who one yeaz ago had no means to pay for that care. 97 children that applied for either Health Choice or Medicaid were denied, primarily because family incomes were too high. or citizenship status. The Department of Social Services has collected $8,150 in enrollment fees from families. Private funding was obtained to subsidize the enrollment fee for families that could not afford the $50 per child/$100 per family with multiple .children enrollment fee. This has reduced the financial enrollment barrier for families with marginal incomes. The Orange County Coalition has more than 30 representatives from over 24 agencies continuing to participate in the planning and implementation of this effort. With. the one year anniversary of October 1, the coalition would like to present a report to the Commissioners of the progress of this. program. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None RECOMMENDATON(S): The Manager recommends that the Commissioners receive the report. .t 2 Summary of Activities in Orange County Health Choice Outreach September 1998 -October 1999 Unique Features • Orange County has 14 "assisted application sites" located throughout the .county that assists pazents completing the application. • Held two training sessions for 82 total participants that were interested in assisting families with the application. Presentations on the Program • Besides task force meetings, presentations were made to joint meeting of DSS and Boazd of Health in eazly October and to Boazd of County Commissioners in late October 1998. DSS staff has briefed UNC Hospitals and UNC Chapel Hill human resources departments on the program (3 sessions total). • DSS staffmet with Human Resource Coordinators for six major employers in county. • DSS .staff held briefing session with emergency service providers. • DSS staffheld orientation session with Task Force on Hispanic Issues. • Health director met with local providers to educate them about Health Choice. There is a misconception that this is another HMO that they may not be "signed-up" with. • Presentation to Orange County Partnership Boazd December 9, 1998. • Lunch meeting with joint Chambers of Commerce to present program on May 19, 1999. • School nurses are being encouraged to attend early PTA meetings and discuss the program with pazents this fall (1999). • Social services and health department staff are responding to ongoing requests for informational sessions. Mazketing & Outreach Materials Prepazed • Developed one-page county flyer in English and Spanish in early September 1998. • Prepared special one-page instructions for the application form (September 1998). • County manager's staff developed second tri-fold brochure for local distribution (English and Spanish). • The one-page flyer has been updated slightly and reprinted (copy attached). The income figures aze different from the old version (August 1999). • Coloring books for kids developed (spring 1999). • Bookmarks with Health Choice/Health Check information developed (fall 1999). Community Events • Distributed one-page flyer at La Fiesta Del Pueblo on September 12 and 13, 1998. • Distributed one-page flyer at Octoberfest in Efland community on October 5. 1998. • Distributed one-page flyer at Festifall in Chapel Hill on October 6, 1998. • Bike Rodeo (May 1999) had information on Health Choice/Health Check. • Chamber of Commerce sponsored Health Choice booth at Hog Day on June 19, 1999 that was staffed by coalition volunteers. 3 Special Events • Volunteers .staffed two "booths" with information and applications at a local grocery store in December. • Hope for Kids distributed 1200 brochures in door-to-door campaign in tazgeted neighborhoods on April 16, 1999. • Michelle Easter from the Interfaith Council and several of her colleagues organized two outreach days at the Buckhorn flea market in August. The first was August 1 and the second one is the last Sunday in August. Eligibility for undocumented aliens continues to be a problem. Outreach in the School Stems • Posted flyers in each school in both school systems in late September 1998. • School .nurses and social workers are checking student information cards for health insurance listings (fall 1999). • Health Department Health Check Coordinator attended eight kindergarten registrations at schools in April and May. • The 1999 version of the one-page flyer was distributed to ALL schools in both school systems with a request to include it in the general information packet that each student gets the first week of school. Know that some schools did include it in the children's registration packets. Other Outreach Activities • Health Choice flyers attached to all pre-school dental screening in April and May (approximately 2000 pre-school children in day caze centers or family day caze). • Health Department Health Check Coordinator called all clients on Health Department database that aze not identified as Health Check to encourage them to apply. Recent Activities/Information • The Task Force has been nominated for the Glaxo Wellcome Child Health Recognition awazd for Health Choice. • .Orange County was selected as one county visited by a Health Care Financing Administration site visit team. Coalition members reported on agency outreach activities to the site visit team. • Orange County has received $1,497 for this fiscal yeaz as part of a statewide allocation to enhance our outreach efforts in this county. The coalition is in the process of developing a "re-enrollment" strategy for the county. The coalition proposed developing bulletin inserts for churches, planning more door-to-door outreach in tazgeted areas and proposed developing a call system to encourage re-enrollment. • The dental benefits for Health Choice were increased during this last session of the legislature to include two cleanings during a 12-month period, sealants, simple extractions, therapeutic pulpotomies, and prefabricated stainless steel crowns. The state will be sending a mailing through the NC Dental Society to all dentists with this information. The task force may do a local mailing as well. • At the last coalition meeting, several agencies asked for another training session on the application because of staff turnover at various agencies.