Pallone Announces HHS Grant for Indian Health Providers

Washington, DC – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded $10 million in funding to 41 Indian health providers to increase awareness of state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Tribes and tribal organizations in 19 states will utilize the funding to enroll children eligible but not currently enrolled in the program which has provided health insurance coverage for low-income children for the past 12 years.
“I commend HHS for giving tribal organizations better tools for enrolling these hard-to-reach populations,” said Pallone. “Many families don’t know they are eligible for life-saving preventive care for their children and that’s a problem. It’s my hope that this funding and increased outreach will eliminate the disparity of health insurance coverage in American Indian communities.”

Minority children in general, including AI/AN children, are more likely to be uninsured. Many AI/AN children live in remote areas of the country, making them harder to enroll in these programs.

As part of the grant, HHS encourages states to make it easier for American Indians who live on or near reservations to enroll in Medicaid and CHIP programs. Health programs may decide which types of outreach programs will be most effective. States may supplement these efforts by sending trained workers to help families enroll in the programs, or contract with tribal organizations in this effort.

As part of a larger goal to find and enroll uninsured children, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 set aside a total of $100 million between 2009-2013 in order to enroll these children.