USM builds on success enrolling kids in health care

Officials at the University of Southern Mississippi's School of Social Work will continue with efforts to enroll underprivileged children in health care now that the school has received a $910,000 grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

The Connecting Kids to Coverage grant will expand on the success of the school's work with Hattiesburg on an initiative that enrolled more than 3,000 residents in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Grant brings health insurance to 3,000 in Hattiesburg

Project director Laura Richard, an assistant professor of social work, says the latest grant will cover the nine counties of State Public Health District 8. That district includes Covington, Forrest, Greene, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lamar, Marion, Perry and Wayne counties.

"There's an estimated 16,000 (individuals) eligible (for Medicare and Medicaid) but not enrolled in District 8," she said. "We are going to try to reduce that by 15 percent."

Richard said the majority of people enrolled would probably be children, but the grant targets adults, too. Out of about 200 eligible applicants, the school was one of only 38 nationwide to receive the grant.

Tim Rehner, director of the School of Social Work, said its past efforts with community engagement led to the award.

"It's a great opportunity for the School of Social Work to be involved in accessing children to health care," he said. "It's a continuation of the success we had with the city."

Rehner said getting children qualified for health care can influence every aspect of their lives from school to play.

"Just going for children who qualify and aren't covered — how do we get kids healthy and how do they get to doctors and get somebody to pay for it?" he said.

Richard said past experience has shown transportation is one obstacle to signing up for the plans because buses don't go to the local Medicare and Medicaid offices. School of Social Work employees and interns will meet eligible residents where they congregate — at WIC centers, health care centers and the state health department.

"You need to go where the people are — make it easier for them to access what they're eligible for," she said. "We set up tables and we talk to people while they're in the waiting room and ask them about their health coverage — do they have it?"

Rehner said by meeting people in the community, officials would also probably sign up residents for other health plans like the Affordable Care Act.

"Everybody needs coverage," he said. "It's hard for people to get covered. It's not intuitive for how you do it. People need help and we can help with that."