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1.
How are
you
structured? What is the relationship
between CHIP of Virginia and the local CHIP sites?
CHIP of
Virginia is an independent 501(c)3
nonprofit organization whose role is to support the network of local
CHIP
projects who provide services to families. CHIP
of Virginia has contracts with the
local entities that comprise the
CHIP network.
The CHIP
network was established over a 15-year
period through a variety of grants which enabled site creation or
expansion. Each CHIP operation was
started as a partnership between a community action agency and local
public
health department. Over time, three CHIP
sites have developed into independent 501(c)3 non-profit organizations. Several others evolved out of partnerships
and were adopted or absorbed by one partner or the other – or by a
different
agency entirely. Two CHIP sites remain
partnerships with the founding partners.
The
organizational structure of each CHIP site is unique
to its local community with each site having its own specific strengths
and
challenges. In order to operate at
maximum efficiency, local CHIP programs (staff, boards and advisory
councils)
require assistance in a variety of functions: fundraising, program
planning,
program evaluation, community relations, staff development,
public-private
partnerships, goal-setting, record-keeping, publications development,
negotiation skills, addressing issues of diversity and problem-solving. Each CHIP site director/coordinator is
selected, hired and supervised locally.
2.
What does
“CHIP”
stand for?
The
Comprehensive Health Investment Project (CHIP) was founded in 1988. CHIP of Virginia was established in 1990 to
lead the replication of the model and lessons learned at the first CHIP
project
in Roanoke, Virginia. Over the years,
several CHIP projects have adopted new meanings for the CHIP acronym. CHIP of Roanoke Valley uses “Child Health
Investment Partnership” and CHIP of Richmond uses “Children’s Health
Involving
Parents.” Whatever the words, the
fundamental components of the network of the 11 CHIP programs are the
same!
3.
Why do
families need
CHIP?
Due
to various reasons
including a lack of
transportation and finances, children from low income families lack
access to
medical care. This causes them to
receive fragmented, limited, and sporadic services from clinics or
hospital
emergency rooms. CHIP increases access
to medical care by providing a consistent medical home with
cost-effective
prevention services.
CHIP links each family with a CHIP team consisting of a public health
nurse and
an outreach worker who visit the family in their home. This team forms
a partnership
with the family and service providers in order to address the family’s
complex
social, behavioral, or medical challenges and produce a more efficient
and
cost-effective use of health care and community services.
The
CHIP team takes a capacity-building approach to working with families,
helping
them set and reach goals to achieve financial independence and to build
parental confidence. CHIP works with rather than for
families and
empowers parents to make changes in their lives in order to reach their
full
potential.
4.
How does
CHIP relate to
SCHIP? (Are you SCHIP?)
CHIP
of Virginia is not part of SCHIP.
CHIP,
created in 1988, provides services to low-income families with children
age 6
and younger. CHIP programs provide
families with assistance in securing insurance, if that is needed. CHIP’s main service, however, is home-based
education and case management to assist each family with a variety of
health
and child issues, building on their individual family strengths.
SCHIP
– the State Children’s Health Insurance Program - was created by the
federal
government in 1997. This program
provides free or low-cost health insurance for children in families
with
incomes slightly higher than traditional public insurance programs
(Medicaid)
who do not have private insurance. Each
state’s SCHIP program is slightly different, but in
most states, uninsured children 18 years old and younger whose families
earn up
to $34,100 a year (for a family of four) are eligible.
Virginia’s
SCHIP program is called FAMIS. The FAMIS income
limit is 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. (In 2007, a family of four
can make
up to $41,300 a year and still be eligible for FAMIS.) Visit http://www.famis.org or contact 1-866-87FAMIS
(1-866-873-2647), for more information.
To
find information about SCHIP programs in other states, call
1-877-KIDS-NOW or
go to http://www.insurekidsnow.gov.
5.
How are
you
funded?
CHIP
of Virginia is committed to seeking a diversified funding base to
sustain the
CHIP network and the central office operations:
-
We serve
as a conduit for funding
from the General Assembly, providing central accountability, oversight
and
quality assurance. Every $1 from the
Virginia
General Assembly leverages an additional $2!
-
We
support local CHIP sites in
their resource development efforts by providing training, information
sharing,
and evaluation.
-
We build
relationships with
managed care organizations and negotiate contracts for services for
multiple
CHIP sites when possible.
-
CHIP can
always use generous
support from the public. Donations may
be designated for specific projects or individual CHIP sites – or used
to
support the whole network.
Each
of the 11 CHIP sites secures local resources and supplements the
funding
received from CHIP of Virginia.
6.
Where/How
can I get
CHIP services?
To
be eligible for CHIP
services a family has to
-
Have
one or more
children between birth and six years old, or is expecting a baby
-
Have
an income level at or below 200% of the
federal poverty level
-
Live
in a locality with
a CHIP program
Contact
the local sites for more information on a CHIP program in
your area. Click
on CHIP Sites.
7.
Does CHIP
make a
difference?
CHIP
WORKS! The services that CHIP provides have resulted in:
-
Increased
health
access and disease prevention
-
Increased
parent’s
comfort in communicating to their child’s doctor
-
Increased
immunization rates
-
Increased
birth
weight
-
Decreased
emergency
room use for asthma
-
Increased
pre-school
enrollment
-
Decreased
alcohol
consumption and smoking during pregnancy
-
Increased
family
stability
-
Increased
medical
home
-
Decreased
inpatient
hospital stay for pregnant women and babies
-
Decreased
medical
costs
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