CHIP EDUCATION PROJECT Karin Dunn HCHD/Gateway to Care
Origins Mandated by the 1999 Texas Legislature to determine efficacy in reducing costs when using peer-to- peer educators Community Health Workers Promotores de Salud Lay Health Workers About 70 other titles Project Started in January 2006 and projected to continue to December 2008, serving 8,103 families
Project Overview Educate Harris County CHIP families on how to appropriately use benefits PCP as “medical home” Ancillary Benefits (Dental & Vision) Case Management Identify barriers to use (language/culture, transportation, etc.) Provide options to overcome Insure that parents have HMO’s member service line number and nurse triage lines
Referral Mechanisms Provided by Health Plans based on self-defined criteria Emergency Room Usage (frequent/primary care related) Near end of term Navigators identified from patients of clinics where they are co-located Since June 2007, have received a sample of newly enrolled families on CHIP directly from HHSC
Served through Febuary 29, 2008 Educated 4,877 families Another 1,213 were educated, but were off CHIP as time of service
Findings to Date Parents are confused by Program due to multiple changes over past 5 years and multiple errors encountered Parents do not understand how managed care fits into benefits package – do not understand that member service line is available for problems with providers or for other issues
Findings - continued Parents do not understand that ancillary benefits available – dental & vision Parents have no knowledge of plan- provided nurse triage line Parents do not know who to notify of address change Families with child(ren) moving from Medicaid are often moved to another health plan.
Additional Outcomes Community Health Worker Training Institute 5 certification classes (160-hour each) Continuing Education classes to maintain certification CHW Regional Symposium Navigator Associates Training