title: AmeriCorps Members increase enrollment in Medicaid/CHIP and preventive care utilization at a community health center.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Uninsured children have less access than others to primary care; Latino children are more likely than non-Latino children to be uninsured.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  1. Determine whether case management (CM) by AmeriCorps Members (ACM) increases enrollment of children in Medicaid/CHIP at a federally qualified community health center (FQHC); 2. Identify factors associated with non-enrollment; 3. Compare health care utilization by enrolled and non-enrolled children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parents of uninsured children at two urban FQHCs serving primarily Latino families were offered CM assistance for enrollment in Medicaid/CHIP at one of the clinics. Application instructions alone were provided at the other clinic. Results. Of 107 children at the CM clinic, 74% were enrolled compared with 26% of the 96 from the non-CM clinic. Non-enrolled children completed fewer preventive care visits than enrolled children despite sliding fees at both FQHCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Case management by ACM is a low-cost, effective approach to increasing access to care for Latino children.
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stipelman
authors.forename: Courtney Pariera
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Dinkins
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pruhs
authors.forename: Randal
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Serr
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008484:Medicaid / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011315:Preventive Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D014838:Volunteers