Outreach Director, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
My memory of last year's bill-signing got me thinking about two incredible people who exemplify the challenge that lies before us: Greg Secrest and Ann Walker, both from Martinsville, a once-robust manufacturing town in southern Virginia. Greg used to work for a furniture manufacturer, but was laid off when the company moved overseas. Without health insurance or a job, Greg found help at Project Connect (a program funded by the Virginia Health Care Foundation and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation), where Ann, an outreach advocate, helped dispel his skepticism about CHIP and signed up his two sons.
Invited to the White House CHIPRA signing ceremony last year, the entire Secrest family traveled to Washington to join the President and other distinguished guests. President Obama mentioned the Secrest family in his remarks saying: "Let's give Americans the support they need to weather this crisis... In the end, that's really all that folks like the Secrests are looking for -- the chance to work hard and to have that hard work translate into a good life for their kids."
I called Ann and Greg last week for an update. Ann is still working hard to help unemployed families find the help they need. "Anywhere there's a door," says Ann, "I'm still sticking my toe in. I'm a nagger. I'm a stalker."
Greg gives Ann high praise: "If I could give Ms. Walker a medal, I would. She gave me peace of mind. Because of her, I have health insurance for my children and I don't have to worry when my kids go out to play." That had been a motivating force -- Greg's 16-year-old had wanted to play football and join ROTC, but his parents worried about what would happen if he got injured and didn't have health insurance.
Martinsville has the state's highest unemployment rate, at over 20 percent. With many more companies downsizing or shutting their doors, Ann keeps sticking her toes in where she has to -- Stanley Furniture, Stuart Flooring, CP Films, even Food Lion. She has been invited by the local Virginia Employment Commission to be a part of the "rapid response team" that visits firms laying off workers to give them swift access to information about applying for available benefits. As Ann points out, the VEC visit may be her first, but it's rarely her last. It may take awhile to reassure parents that Medicaid and CHIP aren't "handouts" -- they were designed to help people get through tough times like these.
Greg Secrest is now a full-time community college student with his eye on a business degree. His wife, Rileen, found a part-time job keeping the books for a biodiesel company. CHIP coverage has helped enormously. During the year, a football injury sent one son to the doctor. Sinus medicine for the other would have set the family back $50 or $60 if it hadn't been for insurance. The Secrests have renewed CHIP coverage for their boys, although they needed Ann once again to troubleshoot when the paperwork they submitted got lost.
To build on last year's progress, on CHIPRA's anniversary, Secretary Sebelius issued a new challenge: Cover the remaining 5 million uninsured children who are eligible for Medicaid and CHIP in the next five years. To do that, we'll need many more Ann Walkers, with their unrelenting spirit and willingness to stick their toes in lots of doors -- but they're going to need more help from us as well. We need to redouble our efforts to reduce the paperwork barriers that keep eligible children from getting and keeping coverage. We need to acknowledge, as Secretary Sebelius did, that Recovery Act funds have been instrumental in bolstering state finances and protecting Medicaid from cuts. Convincing Congress to renew that support is absolutely critical.
Finally, we can't forget that it's not just children who need coverage. Greg Secrest didn't mince words when he said, "We as a country need good health reform." Despite his family's trials, Greg remains an optimist. "There's a light at the end of the tunnel; we just have to go a little further to see it. It will get better. I want my kids to know that."
As we ended our phone call, Greg said he especially wanted to thank everyone who worked for health coverage. I just want to thank Ann and Greg for sharing their stories of perseverance with all of us.
The views expressed by Guest Bloggers do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center for Children and Families.
(Editor's Note: Ann Walker is pictured above helping families access affordable health coverage for their children. She is one of the many hard-working outreach workers helping families secure coverage for their uninsured children.)
Thank you for highlighting the important work that outreach advocates like Ann do. I can feel her enthusiasm just by reading your blog.
We were delighted to see the posting by Donna Cohen Ross, offering kudos to those very special people we call “Outreach Workers!” Like Greg Secrest, the parent of an uninsured child who was helped by a Project Connect Outreach Worker, we, too, would give Ann Walker a medal! And, we’d give one to all of her Project Connect peers around Virginia who have worked so hard to enroll more than 50,000 children in Medicaid and CHIP (called the “FAMIS Programs” in Virginia) over the years. The Virginia Health Care Foundation launched Project Connect with private funding in 1999. The Foundation awarded over $1 million to 12 organizations for 18-month grants (January 2000 – June 2001) to establish community programs that help families enroll their children. These programs targeted 47 localities and enrolled over 5,508 uninsured children from January 2000 through June 2001.
The success of these projects did not go unnoticed. In addition to enrolling children in health insurance, project staff provided significant added value to the field. They were seen as the “eyes and ears” for the state’s Medicaid agency (DMAS), Social Services, and the Department of Education, as well as private sector partners. As Virginia was beginning to make significant changes to its health insurance programs for children, Project Connect outreach workers:
· Identified and helped to resolve issues in working with school systems, health care providers, local social service agencies, managed care organizations, and the FAMIS central processing unit;
· Provided feedback to improve operations, programs, and policies;
· Collaborated with DMAS and other key state agencies on important outreach and promotional events throughout the year;
· Advocated for policy and program changes at the state level;
· Established best practices locally; and
· Served as change agents with schools and other community organizations to help incorporate enrollment and retention assistance into their routine activities.
In recognition of this value to the state, the Department of Medical Assistance Services began funding Project Connect at the end of 2001. In addition, VHCF has received funding from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation and the Danville Regional Foundation to expand Project Connect. Most recently, VHCF received a CHIPRA Outreach and Enrollment Grant, allowing us to fund an additional 10 outreach workers around the state. Now, 24 outreach workers in localities with high numbers of eligible uninsured children are doing what Ann does, “sticking their toes in” wherever they need to in order to find and enroll those children. They work closely with the schools, medical providers, child care providers, faith-based organizations and businesses to identify uninsured children then work directly with families to help enroll their children in Virginia’s FAMIS Programs.
As Virginia weathers this economic storm (and record-breaking snow-storms), we still have more than 100,000 uninsured children in Virginia who are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. Outreach workers, now more than ever, are energized to find them and get them enrolled! They have accepted Secretary Sebelius’ challenge to enroll the remaining uninsured, eligible children. But, as Donna noted, they can’t do it alone. We must continue to work to make the application process simpler, eliminate remaining barriers, and coordinate systems. And, keep giving “medals” and support to these amazing angels we call “outreach workers!”
Great article about the tenacity and importance of Medicaid outreach workers! I do Medicaid outreach in SW Ohio. The complexities of the application process, the stigmas attached to applying, and the stressors affecting families that never imagined they would need Medicaid make the need for Medicaid outreach more important than ever.