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1. How are you structured?
What is the relationship between CHIP of Virginia and the local CHIP
sites?
2. What does “CHIP” stand for?
3. Why do families need CHIP?
4. How does CHIP relate to
SCHIP? (Are you SCHIP?)
5. How are you funded?
6. Where/How can I get CHIP
services?
7. Does CHIP make a difference?
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 10 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 10 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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