IMPORTANT: Look for your child’s Medicaid or CHIP renewal in the mail, complete it and mail it back immediately. They may be covered even if you’re not! Every child currently covered by Medicaid or CHIP will need to go through a renewal process within the next several months. Keep your child covered and healthy. Complete the renewal as soon as you get it in the mail! Go to Medicaid.gov/renewals to find contact information for your state Medicaid office.

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Join Our Spring Enrollment Push: Children And Teens Can Enroll In Medicaid And CHIP Year Round! Parents May Be Eligible For Medicaid Too!

May 14, 2014

Children and teens up to age 19 can get free or low-cost health coverage through Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Parents may qualify for Medicaid too – and in many states, more parents are eligible than in the past. There are no deadlines for enrollment so it's never too late to get covered!

To help spread the message about Medicaid and CHIP enrollment 365 days a year, the Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign has new resources to aid your organization's outreach and enrollment efforts. And if you or your organization is on Twitter, please join the conversation about year-round enrollment by adding the #Enroll365 hashtag to your tweets.

Resources featuring year-round enrollment messaging include:

  • Printable Outreach Poster featuring our Kid in Charge who knows a good thing when he sees it – Medicaid and CHIP! Available in English and Spanish, this poster can be customized  for free with your organization's information.
  • Animated Web Video featuring Sophia and her friends who are all "covered kids". This 90-second video reminds parents that Medicaid and CHIP enrollment is open year round – and lets parents know they may be eligible for Medicaid too. Share it with your networks through email newsletters, websites, blogs and social media channels.
  • Radio Public Service Announcement (PSA), available in English script and Spanish script, is also brought to you by Sophia, who knows that health coverage is good thing to keep her healthy. Share this new PSA with your local radio stations, or play it as your organization's telephone "on hold" message, in doctors' waiting rooms, in schools or even at local movie theaters during pre-show radio broadcasts. Check out our PSA distribution tips  for more ideas.
  • Radio Scripts to share with local radio stations to read on air when there's free time available. The live read scripts can be used for 15-, 30- and 60- second time periods and can be customized with your organization's contact information or with information about a local enrollment event.
  • Social Media Graphics showing examples of covered kids and featuring the year-round enrollment message. Post these on your organization's Facebook page, Twitter and other social media channels. (Coming Soon!)
  • Template Articles for consumers general audiences to share with local community newspapers or school or organizations' newsletters. These templates offer key content and can be customized for your organization. Available in a variety of lengths.

In addition to our national outreach activities, the Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign is working closely with local organizations in five media markets across the country: Dallas, TX; Detroit, MI; Las Vegas, NV; Tampa, FL; and the rural area around Telluride, CO. If your organization has members in any of these areas, email the Campaign's field desk at ConnectingKids@cms.hhs.gov to connect with these groups and coordinate local activities.

Want to hear more about the Campaign's outreach and enrollment push this spring?

Watch our latest webinar for outreach ideas and resources to help you share the message about year round enrollment. The webinar features the work of the Foundation for Positively Kids, based in Las Vegas, focusing on its plans to work with schools and other community programs to reach eligible children and parents. It also highlights the efforts of Children's Defense Fund -Texas and presents practical tips on collecting real life stories of families benefiting from Medicaid and CHIP to enhance outreach efforts.

The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign Notes eNewsletter offers quick outreach and enrollment tips throughout the year. Did a friend or colleague forward this email to you? Sign up to receive the weekly tips and other news from the Campaign. You can also follow the Campaign on Twitter.

Do you have outreach ideas or success stories to share? We want to hear from you! Please email ConnectingKids@cms.hhs.gov. We may feature you in a future Campaign Notes eNewsletter.