CMS announces funding to enroll children in Medicaid/CHIP

State and local governments and community-based public or non-profit organizations can apply through Jan. 20 for a portion of $32 million in grants to find and enroll eligible children in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced yesterday. CMS expects to award about 30 cooperative agreements ranging from $250,000 to $1 million over a two-year period. Provided under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, the funds will support activities aimed at alerting families to the availability of Medicaid and CHIP coverage, identifying children likely to be eligible, and assisting families with the application and renewal process. Applicants are asked to target eligible populations who are less likely to be enrolled, such as teens, Latino children and children in rural areas. For more on the Connecting Kids to Coverage grants, see funding opportunity number CMS-1Z0-16-001 at www.grants.gov.