Childrens Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) Outreach and Enrollment Grants Cycle II | Apply Online

CHIPRA Outreach and Enrollment Grants Cycle II (CMS) - FAQs

1) What is the CHIPRA Outreach and Enrollment Grants Cycle II opportunity?

CHIPRA Outreach and Enrollment Grants Cycle II is a discretionary grant opportunity from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) focused on increasing enrollment in the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and helping eligible children stay covered.

2) What law and policy context does this grant program come from?

The grant program is grounded in the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA), signed into law on February 4, 2009 (Public Law 111-3). CHIPRA reauthorized and funded CHIP through federal fiscal year 2013. The Affordable Care Act later extended the program through 2019 and authorized funding through 2015.

3) Why does Cycle II exist if CMS already awarded CHIPRA outreach grants before?

CHIPRA set aside dedicated funding for outreach and enrollment efforts, and Cycle II continues that investment. CMS previously distributed $40 million in September 2009 to 68 grantees across 42 states, and nearly $10 million in April 2010 to 41 Tribal health provider grantees in 19 states. Cycle II makes another $40 million available over a two-year grant period.

4) How much funding is available under Cycle II?

The total estimated funding for Cycle II is $40,000,000.

5) What is the expected award size for individual grants?

Individual awards are expected to range from $200,000 (floor) to $2,500,000 (ceiling).

6) How long is the grant period?

Cycle II funding is available over a two-year grant period.

7) Is there a cost-sharing or matching requirement?

No cost-sharing or matching requirement is listed in the provided information.

8) What is the main purpose of these grants?

The grants are intended to increase enrollment in CHIP and help eligible children remain covered. The program aims not only to enroll uninsured but eligible children, but also to reduce "churn," where children lose coverage for procedural reasons even though they remain eligible.

9) What does CMS mean by "churn" in this context?

"Churn" refers to situations where children lose coverage for procedural reasons (for example, issues related to enrollment or renewal processes) even though they remain eligible. Cycle II emphasizes reducing these avoidable gaps in coverage.

10) How is Cycle II different from the first CHIPRA outreach grant round?

Cycle II is described as more targeted than the first round. Applicants are asked to design proposals around a defined set of program priorities called Focus Areas.

11) What are the Focus Areas applicants are expected to address?

Cycle II asks applicants to design proposals around these Focus Areas:

• Using technology to make enrollment and renewal easier
• Improving retention so eligible children remain enrolled for as long as they qualify
• Engaging schools as active partners in outreach, enrollment, and renewal
• Conducting targeted outreach to groups of children more likely to experience gaps in coverage
• Ensuring eligible teens enroll and stay covered

12) Does the opportunity emphasize enrollment only, or enrollment plus renewal?

It emphasizes both. The Focus Areas explicitly include making enrollment and renewal easier and improving retention so children stay enrolled for as long as they qualify.

13) Are schools specifically mentioned as potential partners or applicants?

Yes. One Focus Area is engaging schools as active partners in outreach, enrollment, and renewal. In addition, elementary or secondary schools are listed as eligible applicants.

14) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and encourages coalitions and collaborations as well as single entities. Eligible applicants include:

• States with an approved CHIP plan
• Local governments
• Indian tribes, tribal consortia, tribal organizations
• Urban Indian organizations receiving funds under Title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act
• Indian Health Service providers
• Federal health safety net organizations
• National, state, local, or community-based public or nonprofit private organizations (including those that use community health workers or community-based doula programs)
• Faith-based organizations or consortia (as long as the award is consistent with applicable Public Health Service Act requirements governing grants to nongovernmental entities)
• Elementary or secondary schools

15) Are collaborations required, or can a single organization apply?

Collaborations are encouraged, but eligibility is written to include both coalitions/collaborations and single entities.

16) Are nonprofit organizations eligible?

Yes. National, state, local, or community-based public or nonprofit private organizations are listed as eligible applicants.

17) Are faith-based organizations eligible?

Yes, faith-based organizations or consortia are eligible, as long as the award is consistent with applicable Public Health Service Act requirements governing grants to nongovernmental entities.

18) Are Tribal entities and Indian health providers eligible?

Yes. Eligible applicants include Indian tribes, tribal consortia, tribal organizations, urban Indian organizations receiving funds under Title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, and Indian Health Service providers.

19) Are community health worker programs or community-based doula programs relevant to eligibility?

Yes. The eligibility list explicitly includes public or nonprofit private organizations, including those that use community health workers or community-based doula programs.

20) What is the funding instrument and category?

The funding instrument is a standard grant under the health activity category.

21) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 93.767 (Children's Health Insurance Program).

22) What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is CMS-1Z0-11-001.

23) When was the opportunity posted?

The posted date is February 3, 2011.

24) What is the application closing date?

The application closing date is April 18, 2011.

25) What is the archive date?

The archive date is May 18, 2011.

26) Who do applicants contact for technical issues accessing the full announcement electronically?

For technical issues, applicants were directed to the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov during standard weekday hours.

27) Does the information specify how funds are split across different outreach efforts nationally?

The information explains that CHIPRA set aside $100 million for outreach and enrollment efforts: $80 million for grants to states, local governments, and community and nonprofit organizations; $10 million reserved for grants exclusively for Indian health providers and Tribal entities; and $10 million for a national enrollment campaign.

28) Does Cycle II explicitly require projects to use technology?

Cycle II identifies "using technology to make enrollment and renewal easier" as one of the Focus Areas applicants may design proposals around, but the provided information does not state that technology use is mandatory for every application.

29) What populations does Cycle II emphasize beyond young children?

Cycle II includes a Focus Area specifically aimed at ensuring eligible teens enroll and stay covered, and another Focus Area aimed at targeted outreach to groups of children more likely to experience gaps in coverage.

30) What is the overall theme of the Cycle II priorities?

The priorities focus on practical strategies that make enrollment and renewal easier, strengthen retention, leverage schools as outreach partners, and concentrate outreach on groups likely to have coverage gaps, including teens.