District to Reach out to Noninsured

October 10, 2009

With more than 50 percent of its population on free and reduced lunch, Montrose County School District has been asking, "How many of these families don’t have family doctors or health insurance?" Now, a recent federal grant will help them find out, enabling them to keep their students healthy while reducing emergency health care costs.

A health care barrier was identified in the Montrose County community when the Colorado Health Foundation visited last Spring and conducted three days of interviews with area parents and officials. The foundation looked at the community’s resources, and lack there of, district spokesperson Linda Gann said.

However, the district’s been aware of the gap. After opening the Northside Child Health Center, outreach coordinator Patty Edstrom was hired to educate parents on Medicaid and Children Health Plan Plus (CHP+) eligibility. Now, a $25,000 stipend per year for two years from the Colorado Association of School Based Health Clinics will assist her mission.

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"The stipend will send our staff to Pueblo to learn about how they match those (free and reduced lunch with those without health insurance and providers) data bases," Gann said. It will also help the district with computers necessary for the work and hire a part-time person to assist Edstrom in identifying and contacting those who may be eligible for insurance programs.

The district is to replicate the Pueblo StepUp program that has a successful model to enroll and retain children in Medicaid and CHP+ through school-based clinics.

"This is another example of how our school district collaborates with other agencies to leverage resources to bring support to our students and their families," Gann said. "In the current economic climate, and even when the economy is strong again, we think it is very important to look to the community and to other youth-centered organization to solve some problems in public school. Without a question, an issue that has been identified is that families do not have a family doctor."

The Northside center bills for Medicaid and CHP+. Others that do not qualify are charged on a sliding-fee scale. The center prefers to refer families to family physician, however, understanding that some use the center as a medical home. It’s the case that many private practices are full or can’t accept any clients on such insurance program, Gann said.

The funding should arrive to the district by mid-November. After families are identified, which they must sign a form to release their information, they will began discussing with qualified families their options and help them navigate through the whole process of applying.