Baltimore (October 1, 2009) - Maryland will receive $1.18 million from the federal Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration to provide health care services to uninsured children who are eligible for the Maryland Children Health Program (MCHP) or Medicaid programs, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) today reports. The award is part of $40 million in grants to 69 grantees in 41 states and the District of Columbia announced by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius yesterday.   

“We are putting these federal funds to work right away, helping our most vulnerable families meet their basic needs including quality medical care,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “These are tough times for many Marylanders, but even in tough times, we must put families first by expanding the safety net for the most vulnerable among us, including those families without adequate health coverage.” 

As part of the announced grant release, $988,177 will go to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) and additional $200,000 will go to the Garrett County Health Department.  Currently, 150,000 children in Maryland are uninsured. Approximately 100,000 of these children are eligible for either the Maryland Children's Health Program (MCHP) or Medicaid, but have not enrolled.   

"In these hard economic times, we embrace this opportunity to improve the health care for children in need across Maryland,” said DHMH Secretary John M. Colmers. "With these dollars, we can breakdown enrollment barriers for parents and provide eligible children access to health care services."   

DHMH will also use the funds to maintain the eligibility of children currently enrolled.  In addition, Maryland will expand and improve an online eligibility tool for enrollment and establish a one-stop health-care information hub through the “211” telephone information system.       

"No child in America should go without decent healthcare," said Cindy Mann, director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations-the group within the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services that will administer the grants. "With the funds we are awarding today we hope to reduce the number of children who do." 

In Garrett County, the funds will help expand the existing community outreach infrastructure and train outreach workers according to Garrett County Health Officer Rodney Glotfelty. “We expect to get health care to 600 more children and to re-enroll an additional 300 children.”  

Grants were awarded to applicants whose outreach, enrollment and retention efforts will target geographic areas with high rates of eligible but uninsured children, particularly those with racial and ethnic minority groups who are uninsured at higher-than-average rates.  Out of approximately 400 applications, HHS made awards to 69 applicants. 

The awards are for a two-year period ending December 31, 2011.