Children's Defense Fund

The Downstate New York Child Health Now! Coalition
Since 1999, The Downstate New York Child Health Now! Coalition has worked together to ensure that all eligible families learn about and enroll their children in New York's Child Health Plus A and B programs. With the implementation of Family Health Plus, the mission of the Coalition was expanded in 2001 to include parents and other uninsured adults. The Child Health Now! coalition, with the support and leadership of CDF-NY, has grown to include more than 100 member organizations and many more individuals from New York City, Long Island and Westchester. Members represent facilitated enrollment programs, managed care plans, government agencies (federal, state and local), health and human service providers, unions, community-based organizations, advocates and others concerned with the health of children and families. The coalition also has two committees, the Outreach & Enrollment and Facilitated Enrollment Lead Agency Workgroups.

Child Health Now! Coalition meetings address current policy and advocacy issues impacting the enrollment of children and adults into public health insurance programs. The coalition also serves as a clearinghouse for current federal, state and local issues related to public health insurance and community-based outreach and enrollment initiatives. The coalition meets twice a year.

The Outreach and Enrollment Workgroup provides support to facilitated enrollment programs and those conducting outreach on New York's public health insurance programs. Meetings focus on local outreach and enrollment strategies, "best practices" and current issues impacting New York's public health insurance programs and facilitated enrollment. This workgroup meets quarterly and its members include representatives of the state-funded facilitated enrollment programs, government agencies, managed care plans and others. The Facilitated Enrollment Lead Agency Workgroup works to ensure successful implementation and operation of facilitated enrollment programs. This group brings together key staff from state-funded lead agencies to network and identify issues impacting their programs and to develop solutions. This workgroup meets bimonthly.

If you are interested in joining or have questions please call the Children's Defense Fund at 212.697.2323.

Child Health Now Meetings are held quarterly. The next meeting is
September 28, 2006 from 9:30am to 12:00pm.

Children's Defense Fund-NY & the Robin Hood Foundation Health Insurance Initiative

This project works with community-based programs, supported by the Robin Hood Foundation, to design systems to identify the uninsured children and adults they serve and develop strategies and initiatives to enroll them in one of New York's public health insurance programs, Medicaid, Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus. Through this project we have been able to help thousands of children and adults access public health insurance. Based on the success of this model, CDF-NY is expanding the scope of this project to include tax credits and other public benefits such as the Food Stamp Program.