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NIIITI £ARDLINA <br /> <br />TO: Frank Clifton, County Mana <br />FROM: Jim Cook, Social Services Di(ector <br />DATE: 3-8-99 ~ J <br />SUBJECT: Budget Amendment Request, Robert W~od Johnson Grant <br /> I am writing to ask the Board of Commissioners consider the attached budget <br />amendment request at its 3-15-99 meeting. No county appropriation is requested. <br />However, revenues are affected. <br /> <br /> This amendment request would budget funds from a Robert Wood Johnson <br />Foundation "Covering Kids Program" grant, together with matching federal Medicaid <br />administrative funds, for a project to do outreach to enroll children in low-income <br />working families in the new federally-funded N.C. Health Choice health insurance <br />program. (It also adjusts expenses for other purchased services between the Income <br />Maintenance Services and Employment Programs budgets). <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br /> <br /> In October 1998, North Carolina implemented the new federally-funded <br />Children's Health Insurance (CHIPS) Program. The General Assembly had determined <br />the basic policies for North Carolina's version of CHIPS, which is entitled "North <br />Carolina Health Choice". This program provides health insurance coverage to children in <br />families with incomes too high to qualify them for Medicaid, but below 200% of the <br />poverty level (about $33,000 for a family of four). Except for those with the lowest <br />incomes, there is an annual enrollment fee of $50 per child, with a $100 maximum per <br />family. Cabarrus County is estimated to have around 970 children who would qualify. <br />(The state estimated a similar number of Medicaid-eligible children will be identified as <br />children are enrolled in N.C. Health Choice. As of December, about 3862 children <br />received Medicaid benefits. Approximately 160 children had been enrolled in N.C. <br />Health Choice). <br /> <br /> In anticipation of the implementation of CHIPS in North Carolina, the Cabarrus <br />County Health Alliance had applied for a grant from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's <br />Covering Kids Project. The Foundation had initiated the grant program as an effort <br />designed to support CHIPS outreach demonstration projects across the country, and in so <br />doing to determine what types of outreach are effective. <br /> <br /> Department of Social Services <br />1303 South Cannon Blvd. Kannapolis, NC 28083 (704)939-1400 <br /> <br /> <br />