AFMC's project provides statewide outreach, education, and enrollment assistance to children, uninsured pregnant child-bearing individuals, and parents for Medicaid and CHIP coverage in Arkansas. - Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, Inc. (AFMC) will build on our 50+ years of experience with Medicaid service delivery activities in Arkansas and in-depth understanding of the State’s healthcare landscape to develop and manage an outreach, education, and enrollment program that helps pregnant child-bearing individuals, and parents enroll eligible children in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage through our Healthy Life: Ensuring Coverage for Eligible Children and Moms (HL) project. We will assist with coverage renewal and provide individuals with guidance on required documentation, eligibility requirements, and enrollment status as needed. Our project goal is to assist uninsured individuals statewide with applying for Arkansas Medicaid or CHIP and remind currently enrolled individuals to re-enroll, assisting with re-enrollment as needed. The project will target children up to age 21 for Medicaid and up to 19 for CHIP, pregnant child-bearing individuals, and parents or guardians of CHIP and Medicaid-eligible children. Through collaboration and targeted strategies with community partners, we will strengthen the education of families and identify challenges affecting enrollment, including, but not limited to, language and culture. AFMC will meet the following project milestones to help us stay on track for success: • Y1, Q1: Establish data-sharing agreements with State agencies, conduct baseline assessments of uninsured children across the state to determine the highest need, and perform roundtable discussions with CBOs • Y1, Q2: Evaluate existing tools and resources, identify gaps, and begin developing new tools and resources for outreach and education of Medicaid and CHIP eligibility and enrollment • Y1, Q3: Implement outreach programs across the state in high-need areas and establish partnerships with additional community organizations • Y 1, Q4: Conduct roundtables with CBOs and providers in high-need areas and reach children, families, and pregnant child-bearing individuals in Medicaid/CHIP • Y2 & Y3: Refine outreach efforts based on CBO and provider feedback, expand outreach efforts to rural and underserved areas, improve online tools and processes • Y4 & Y5: Achieve overall percentage increase in new Medicaid/CHIP enrollment, develop policy recommendations based on program data, and ensure sustainability of enrollment activities through legislative support AFMC will implement a coordinated outreach, education, and enrollment strategy, leveraging our Medicaid service center, enrollment specialists, and partnerships with State agencies, healthcare organizations, and CBOs. We will provide training to increase awareness of Medicaid and CHIP eligibility, application processes, and available support, ensuring accessibility for both urban and rural communities. Through targeted phone and text outreach, our enrollment specialists—living and working in their communities—will provide direct assistance, addressing enrollment challenges. We will also develop culturally and linguistically appropriate educational materials and distribute them through trusted community networks. Finally, data analytics will guide performance tracking, refine engagement strategies, and support continuous program improvement. The total budget request for the HL project is $3,000,000 for the five-year performance period. Funds will be used to complete work plan activities and meet the goals listed above. The expected result of the HL project is an increase in enrollment and renewals for eligible children and pregnant child-bearing individuals. We are confident that the HL project will provide further legacy results that impact the health and wellbeing of the target population: reduce non-emergent use of emergency departments, increase access to primary care providers, increase annual preventative services, and increase Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment.
