CHCF: Announces Grants For Medi-Cal Outreach Programs

The California HealthCare Foundation has announced that it will make up to $1.5 million available to support local efforts to enroll eligible children in Medi-Cal. The "First Things First" program will provide up to six 18-month grants designed to stimulate rapid progress in reducing the number of uninsured children in the state. In addition to direct grants, the initiative will allocate resources to evaluate the effectiveness of the outreach strategies and to disseminate the most promising practices. Approximately 17% of California children age 17 and under do not have health insurance. An estimated 500,000 to 600,000 of these children are believed to be eligible for Medi-Cal but are not enrolled.

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CHCF will award up to two grants in each of three categories based on geography and population density, with the size of the grant related to the percentage of uninsured children in each respective area. The application deadline for the program is February 17. Only coalitions will be eligible for the funding; coalitions must include the county welfare agency and should also include either a local school district, a local health entity or a local day care, Head Start or WIC program. Click here for more information on First Things First, or contact CHCF at (510) 238-1040.

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