Founded in 2007, Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN) is a statewide, consumer-driven organization working to ensure all Pennsylvanians have high quality, equitable, and affordable healthcare. Since 2013, PHAN has aided individuals enrolling in health coverage through Pennie, (PA’s Health Insurance Marketplace), Medical Assistance (MA), and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). PHAN has extensive experience conducting federally funded outreach and enrollment work as both a Navigator and under a 2016 Cycle IV outreach grant, enrolling over 10,000 people in coverage throughout Pennsylvania.
Under this proposal, PHAN will enroll or renew 5,040 Pennsylvanians in coverage over the three-year period, including 2,973 children, 2,016 parents, and 51 pregnant individuals using a variety of strategies.
PHAN will create a statewide referral network of pediatric offices, school nurses, home visiting programs, juvenile justice agencies, community-based organizations, and legal services offices. Through the referral network, PHAN will train frontline staff to identify uninsured parents and children and connect them to PHAN’s team of enrollment assisters, who can assist them in enrolling in or renewing coverage or troubleshooting problems in the enrollment process. To establish this referral network, PHAN will work with five partner organizations: PA Health Law Project, PA Legal Aid Network, PA Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Maternity Care Coalition and Healthy Start Inc. - Pittsburgh.
PHAN will also conduct extensive outreach statewide to promote its enrollment assistance, utilizing its deep partnerships with nearly 600 community-based organizations across the state, particularly in rural and disconnected communities, as well as using multi-channel digital strategies, earned or paid media, email, text messaging, and other outreach strategies. PHAN will put particular emphasis on enrolling uninsured children and parents in Perry, Cumberland, Adams, Mifflin and Juniata counties, areas with a disproportionate number of uninsured children and adults.
In year 2 of the grant, PHAN will host an event in one targeted local community in Central Pennsylvania. The event will provide basic services and screenings and link those without coverage to application help.
The project will leverage PHAN’s eligibility, policy, and regulatory expertise regarding Medical Assistance, CHIP and Pennie. PHAN will develop extensive training for frontline staff at partner organizations as well as targeted outreach materials for children and parents that describes the benefits of health coverage and how to apply for, enroll in, and maintain coverage; accessing benefits; and how to refer to PHAN’s Helpline.
This project will hire a half-time Project Manager and three full-time Community Engagement Specialists to develop educational and outreach materials and to assist with the application, enrollment, and renewal processes for children, youth, parents, and pregnant individuals.
