AmeriCorps Members Increase Enrollment in Medicaid/CHIP and Preventive Care Utilization at a Community Health Center

Background. Uninsured children have less access than others to primary care; Latino children are more likely than non-Latino children to be uninsured. Objectives. 1. Determine whether case management (CM) by AmeriCorps Members (ACM) increases enrollment of children in Medicaid/CHIP at a federally qualified community health center (FQHC); 2. Identify factors associated with non-enrollment; 3. Compare health care utilization by enrolled and non-enrolled children. Methods. Parents of uninsured children at two urban FQHCs serving primarily Latino families were offered CM assistance for enrollment in Medicaid/CHIP at one of the clinics. Application instructions alone were provided at the other clinic. Results. Of 107 children at the CM clinic, 74% were enrolled compared with 26% of the 96 from the non-CM clinic. Non-enrolled children completed fewer preventive care visits than enrolled children despite sliding fees at both FQHCs. Conclusion. Case management by ACM is a low-cost, effective approach to increasing access to care for Latino children.