SHARE funds new project in Maryland

December 16, 2008. To actively respond to exciting new state coverage initiatives, SHARE reserves some of its grant funding to commission research on reforms enacted outside the time frame of the formal CFP process. Our first commission will evaluate the Maryland Kid’s First Bill passed in March 2008.

Maryland Kids First Act Outreach Evaluation

Grantee Institution: Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH)

Principal Investigator: Cheryl Powell, The Hilltop Institute, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Co-Principal Investigator: Cheryl Camillo, Office of Eligibility Services, DHMH

Awarded: $183,664

This study will analyze Maryland’s use of income tax records to identify un-enrolled Medicaid eligible children. The research will evaluate the logic behind the collection and use of this data, implementation of the pre-determined algorithm, and assess how well the state achieved its goals to identify and enroll uninsured eligible children in Medicaid and/or SCHIP. This study also seeks to more broadly inform other states’ efforts to use existing sources of data such as tax records for outreach and enrollment. A rigorous evaluation of this novel outreach strategy will be of great interest to states facing similar problems identifying and enrolling eligible uninsured children.