The Midwest Asian Health Association is pleased to request funding support from CMS to develop and implement the project entitled: Bridging the Insurance Gap for Asian/Latino Immigrants Kids (The “Bridge” Program). The purposes of this proposed project are to reduce the number of Asian and Latino children who are eligible for, but not enrolled in, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and to improve retention of eligible children who are enrolled in the programs, particularly among Asian and Latinx immigrants.
The goals of the project will be: (1) MAHA’s bilingual Navigator team will provide application services to 375 immigrant children to enroll in Illinois Medicaid/CHIP; (2) MAHA will assist 225 immigrant parents with submission of enrollment application to Illinois Medicaid/CHIP; (3): MAHA’s team will outreach and recruit 45 pregnant women for Medicaid/CHIP enrollment. These goals will be achieved though measurable objectives with a timeline stated in the workplan and timeline table.
Since 2013, the Midwest Asian Health Association (MAHA) has been providing its clientele, primarily Asian immigrants, with the knowledge, expertise, and culturally and linguistically competent services for pre- and post-enrollment assistance in healthcare plans through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). MAHA’s bilingual Navigator team has more than 6 years of experiences conducting ACA Navigator Program. As successful as these efforts have been, there is still a gap in service when it comes to family enrollment into Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
To best serve the communities surrounding MAHA, an expansion of the Navigator program is needed to increase enrollment for qualified Medicaid/CHIP applicants, particularly among children and pregnant women. MAHA also must increase its staff to support the needs of a rising Latinx population that remains underserved within the target zip codes: 60608, 60609, and 60616. Despite the recent growth in population, Census data reveals that median household income in predominantly Latinx and Asian communities still trails the citywide median household income. Additionally, 2019 ACS data reveals that approximately 27% of children within the 60616, 28% of children in 60608, and 40% of children in 60609 live below the poverty line.
Despite this area of need, significant enrollment barriers exist, including a lack of employer-based healthcare options among hourly wage workers. Additionally, a “digital divide” that constricts the abilities of low-income individuals to apply for services online, as well as immigrant-specific considerations such as language skills and fear of disclosing their immigration status to law enforcement entities.
To achieve its goals, MAHA will utilize resources provided by the National Campaign on the Back-To-School Initiative in its efforts to target AAPI and Latinx families in its marketing campaigns, both virtually and through direct community outreach. Marketing and community outreach during the summer will capitalize on opportunities such as Back-To-School fairs, street festivals, and other community events. MAHA also expects to reach 75,000 impressions per year by dedicating project hours towards social media outreach, including input from Navigators as well the Health Program Manager. MAHA is in a unique position to assist both Asian and Latinx children and families based on its geographical location, as well as its ongoing community outreach efforts. As the organization continues to grow, so does the demand for the provision of services from its clientele.
In consideration of these goals, MAHA respectfully requests $500,000 per year in grant funding to support its Navigator program and increase the provision of pre- and post-enrollment services to the Latinx community, while continuing to provide for the needs of the AAPI community that MAHA has historically served.