Provider Outreach

Experiences to Share

Week for Covering Kids
Medical Office Assistants from providers' offices in Haywood County came together for information about "Medical Home", the Medicaid Card, and Carolina ACCESS. Henderson County's Health Check Coordinator attended and supplied materials from the NC Healthy Start Foundation. The assistants had the opportunity to view the new HC/NCHC applications and emphasis was made on the help available to Cover Kids in their community.Brochures on "Medical Home vs. Emergency Room" were available as well as information on Carolina ACCESS. Emphasis was made as to the role of Health Check Coordinators and new Medicaid enrollees. Information was also provided and the upcoming Health Check workshop. It was a good day of information exchange and fellowship.
--Wilma Young, Haywood County Coordinator

Keeping in contact with providers
Outreach to health care professionals is an important component for many counties. Providers' offices are well positioned to know who has health insurance and who doesn't. They are often champions of the programs.

Do not exclude specialists even if they do not treat children. An oncologist shared what a help this program had been to the children of his patients. Since many of his patients had either lost jobs or experienced reduced hours due to health issues, paying premiums for family coverage had become almost impossible. He praised Health Choice for the stress relief they experienced when this was one problem solved.
--Harriett Marlor, Buncombe County

Establishing relationships
The majority of counties reported visiting their providers on a regular basis, establishing good relationships with office staff, providing materials, making presentations and answering questions.

A new computerized scheduling system for the Pediatric and Nurse Screening Clinics allows me to check each week for children who will be present in our [Health Department] clinics. If the child’s visit is for Kindergarten screening, sports or day care physical, a well child check can be performed at that time. This helps Health Check meet our goals as well as being convenient for the parents.
-- Elaine Adams, Watauga County

I went through training on the appointment system of two local providers so I could call delinquent patients and reschedule while in their office.
-- Priscilla Allison, Carbarrus County

I place brochures in the hospital too.
--Cheryl Swink, Cherokee County

Up-to-date information
Many counties make sure that providers have the most recent program and billing updates.

We attend all EDS workshops. This enables us to provide accurate information back to the providers as well as the hospital.
--Michelle Frizzell, Jackson County

Letters are sent to all Medicaid providers advising them of the services available to assist them. We have ongoing communication with the UNC Hospital Managed Care Representative.
--Darrell Renfroe, Orange County

Diana Garlough of Haywood County,
Anne Keener of Avery County, and
Brenda Phipps of Ashe County develop regional Health Check newsletters called "The Connection."

These newsletters give providers program updates, Health Check screening reminders, and names and phone numbers to call if they have questions or billing concerns. The newsletter is then distributed by the HCCs in 25 counties.

We also take providers updated articles from the Medicaid Bulletin or just a list of Medicaid phone numbers to remember.
-- Wilma Young, Haywood County

Don't forget the office staff

We take the office staff goodies every couple of months and restock their brochures and magnets.
--Angelia Bowman, Alexander

We give framed posters to all Health Check providers to display in their offices.
-- Elaine Mitchell, Granville County

What have we learned? NEVER FORGET OFFICE STAFF MAY BE ELIGIBLE!
Offer to meet with office staffs. Invite yourself to any meetings of office managers that take place in your county. Remind them of information given and quick updates-no more than ten minutes. Have them repeat the name of the local contact and the phone number as a reminder.

Give the office manager the name of the Provider Education Consultant for your region (i.e. Western North Carolina is Courtney Allen, 919-765-2979), Diane Tyson for Special Needs Children at 1-800-737-3028 and a local name and phone number they can call for questions that remain unanswered.
--Harriett Marlor, Buncombe County

From "NC Covering Kids:
A Retrospective"
(A report on the RWJ Covering Kids grant outreach activities of 1999-2001)

One-on-One
We concluded that we were on the right track with the one-on-one approach, i.e., visiting providers at their offices rather than relying on mailings or expecting office staff to participate in group trainings.

Small steps approach
An emphasis on getting families to fill in a few specific pieces of information, and date and sign the application "on-the spot," rather than wait to submit a completed application worked well. This way, DSS can "get the ball rolling" and follow up with the family to gather the remaining information required to determine eligibility.

Key players
Working directly with the billing and insurance folks in the office. While it is important to get physicians, medical office manager and front office staff on board, it is the billing and insurance staff that are more likely to know who needs coverage.

Attentiveness of DSS staff
The Buncombe Pilot's outreach worker picked up applications if it is near the end of the month. This way, recently delivered care will be reimbursed if a child is determined eligible.

(Note: Applications are date-stamped when they are received by DSS. Reimbursements for services of those who are ultimately enrolled in Health Choice, for example, are retroactive to the first of the month that the application is stamped. Medical expenses of those who are approved for Health Check may be retroactive for three months.)

The application specialist is readily available by phone to consult and provide assistance to providers and medical office personnel on a wide range of matters relating to Health Check and Health Choice.

Words of Advice
To those with limited resources who are interested in trying a one-on-one office approach, we suggest:

• Focusing on the practices that are likely to have the high volume of potentially eligible patients and where one is likely to get good cooperation, such as community, rural and migrant health centers and other subsidized and free clinics;
• Targeting adults eligible for Medicaid as well as children;
• Partnering with others who are already working directly with providers and families likely to be eligible for benefits and whose job it is to improve access and utilization of medical services, such as Health Check Coordinators. Training and careful coordination of partners is key.