    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [February 18, 1998]
    [Pages 239-240]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 239]]

    Memorandum on Children's Health Insurance Outreach
    February 18, 1998

    Memorandum for the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of
    Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Labor, the
    Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Housing and
    Urban Development, the Secretary of Education, the Commissioner of
    Social Security

    Subject: Children's Health Insurance Outreach

        Over 10 million of our Nation's children are currently uninsured
    and, as a consequence, often cannot afford much-needed health care
    services such as doctor visits, prescription drugs, or hospital care.
    Last year, with bipartisan support, we took a major step toward solving
    this problem. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 that I signed into law
    enacted the largest single expansion of children's health insurance in
    30 years. The new Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides
    $24 billion over 5 years to cover millions of uninsured children in
    working families. It builds on the Medicaid program, which currently
    covers nearly 20 million poor children across the country.
        We now face the serious task of enrolling uninsured children in both
    Medicaid and State-administered children's health programs. We know that
    well over 3 million uninsured children are eligible but not enrolled in
    Medicaid. This is largely due to a lack of knowledge about Medicaid
    eligibility and the difficulty of the enrollment process. These same
    problems could limit the potential of CHIP to successfully enroll
    millions of uninsured children.
        To ensure that both Medicaid and CHIP fulfill their potential, I am
    calling for a nationwide children's health insurance outreach initiative
    involving both the private and public sectors. As illustrated by my
    announcement today, foundations, corporations, health care providers,
    consumer advocates, and others in the private sector are already
    responding to our challenge to make every effort to enroll uninsured
    children in Medicaid or CHIP. In the public sector, my FY 1999 budget
    proposal includes policies to give States the flexibility and funding
    they need to conduct innovative outreach activities. The Health Care
    Financing Administration (HCFA) and the Health Resources and Services
    Administration (HRSA) should continue their focused efforts to promote
    outreach through administrative actions.
        There is clearly more that the Federal Government can do to help the
    States and the private sector achieve our mutual goal of targeting and
    providing coverage to uninsured children. Many children who lack health
    insurance are the same children who benefit from programs your agency
    now administers. Eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP is often similar to
    that for WIC, Food Stamps, Head Start, tax programs, job training,
    welfare to work, Social Security, public housing, and homelessness
    initiatives. Thus, a coordinated Federal interagency effort is critical
    to providing greater health care coverage for children.
        Therefore, to increase enrollment of uninsured children in Medicaid
    and CHIP, I hereby direct you to take the following actions consistent
    with the mission of your agency. First, I direct you to identify all of
    the employees and grantees of your agency's programs who work with low-
    income, uninsured children who may be eligible for Medicaid or CHIP.
        Second, I direct you to develop and implement an educational
    strategy aimed at ensuring that your agency's employees and grantees are
    fully informed about the availability of Medicaid and CHIP to our
    Nation's children.
        Third, I direct you to develop an agency-specific plan as part of
    our Administration-wide, intensive children's health insurance outreach
    effort. Your agency's plan should include distributing information and
    educating families about their options; coordinating toll-free numbers
    and other sources of information on public programs; simplifying,
    coordinating, and, where possible, unifying the application process for
    related public programs; and working with State and local agencies on
    broadening the locations where families can apply for Medicaid and/or
    CHIP.
        Fourth, I direct you to identify any statutory or regulatory
    impediments in your programs to conducting children's health insurance
    coverage outreach.
        Finally, I direct the Department of Health and Human Services to
    serve as the coordinating agency to assist in the development and
    integration of agency plans and to report back to me

    [[Page 240]]

    on each agency's plan in 90 days with recommendations and a suggested
    implementation timetable. In so doing, I direct the Department to ensure
    that Federal interagency activities are complementary, aggressive, and
    consistent with the overall initiative to cover uninsured children.

                                                          William J. Clinton