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[MM Curator Summary]: Groups can apply for $500 and $5,000 grants to help explain the wind-down process to members in their communities.
Clipped from: https://www.beckerspayer.com/payer/how-arkansas-is-boosting-medicaid-outreach-ahead-of-phe-expiration.html
The Arkansas Department of Human Services has launched a grant program for community-based organizations to assist the state’s Medicaid beneficiary outreach efforts ahead of the eventual end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The public health emergency runs through at least Jan. 11. When the emergency ends, Arkansas Medicaid will redetermine eligibility for beneficiaries whose eligibility was extended solely due to the emergency, according to a Nov. 8 department news release. Arkansas Medicaid will also begin closing cases for ineligible individuals and for individuals who do not respond to requests to renew or provide information.
Ahead of that ending, the department is seeking community-based organizations to help with outreach and engagement of their local constituencies, according to the release. The organizations will also help with the renewal process in some circumstances.
Organizations with a proven track record for serving low-income children and adults, those with low incomes in rural communities, and low-income pregnant or postpartum women will be given priority for grants, according to the release.
What: Mini-grant program to assist the Arkansas Department of Human Services with important outreach and engagement efforts in advance of the eventual unwinding and ultimate end of the ongoing Public Health Emergency (PHE) related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More Details: When the PHE ends, Arkansas Medicaid will redetermine eligibility for all Arkansas Medicaid clients whose eligibility has been extended solely due to the PHE. Arkansas Medicaid will also begin closing cases for ineligible individuals and for individuals who do not respond to requests to renew or provide information.
DHS is seeking to partner with community-based organizations (CBOs) to assist with outreach and engagement of their local constituencies and, in some cases, helping with the renewal application process. DHS, with support from the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC), will identify eligible Arkansas 501c3 nonprofits for recruitment. These CBOs will then be asked to complete the application process and confirm they meet eligibility criteria for the grant opportunity. The goal is to serve all 75 counties. Applications will be reviewed in the order received and priority will be given to organizations which have a proven track record for serving low-income children and adults, those which serve low-income Arkansans in rural communities, and those which serve low-income pregnant or post-partum women. Partnerships in larger counties will be limited to at least one CBO Basic Outreach Partner per 75,000 residents and one CBO Enhanced Outreach Partner per 75,000 residents.
Eligible CBOs will be required to complete a mini-grant application created by DHS. DHS may limit the number of CBOs who can participate in each county based on the county’s population and the number of partners already approved in the county. CBOs will identify their participation level as either a Basic Outreach Partner or an Enhanced Outreach Partner.
Basic Outreach Partners may be eligible for a one-time $500 stipend and Enhanced Outreach Partners may be eligible for a one-time $5,000 stipend for participation.
Program details and the application can be found at www.afmc.org/cbo. Please submit applications with required documents to cboinfo@afmc.org by December 16, 2022, at 5 p.m. Applications submitted after this date or are incomplete will not be considered for the first round of grant funding.