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Building a Better HUSKY
Getting ‘free' insurance for needy kids no easy task
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Business New Haven
3/22/1999
By: Sheila A. LaSella
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HUSKY fever? No, we're not talking about the University of Connecticut's highly ranked basketball teams, but about the state's outreach and enrollment efforts for the Healthcare for UninSured Kids and Youth program.
Will the endeavor to revamp and enhance the bureaucratically bogged-down Medicaid program catch fire and provide warmth to the uninsured, or will its embers be all that's left burning in a few years?
The traditional Medicaid program failed to reach tens of thousands of Connecticut residents lacking health insurance. Traditional Medicaid still exists, but now falls under HUSKY Part A; while new health services for children in higher income families is known as HUSKY Part B. HUSKY Plus is a supplemental program for children with intensive physical and behavioral health needs.
As of January, the HUSKY program had enrolled 11,500 children under age 19, according to the Department of Social Services (DSS).
Although DSS considers these numbers a “good start,” Michael Starkowski, DSS deputy commissioner for administration adds, “We recognize that this is a new program and that we have a long way to go.”
A shift toward a more streamlined, user-friendly assistance program resulted from Connecticut, with the nation's highest per-capita income, having “horrendous health indicators in terms of infant mortality, low birth weight and children lacking immunizations,” according to Jay Pinsince, manager of outpatient services at the Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven.
The movement is fueled by recent $1.1 million public and private grants for outreach and enrollment initiatives across the state.
The program to insure Connecticut's children is touted via marketing approaches not seen in previous assistance programs.
The Husky dog mascot and logo, colorful, glossy brochures covered with warm, friendly faces and toll-free telephone hotlines are the latest measures employed to attract new members to HUSKY.
Combined efforts between DSS, the Children's Health Council and Infoline target child care providers with direct mail campaigns. A HUSKY video planned by DSS, the Children's Fund of Connecticut and the UConn Health Center will soon be made available to day-care providers.
The message is also being distributed via radio and print advertising, community presentations, utility bill inserts and school outreach programs. Additionally, six DSS outreach staff travel the state visiting community organizations, hospitals and schools to provide information about enrolling in HUSKY.
“The experience of every state bears out the fact that signing up uninsured children is not automatic. It's not a matter of announcing a new service and expecting parents to beat the door down. Families have to be reached, contacted, persuaded and advocated for in many cases. Parents have to be educated - and have to overcome a reservation about enrolling in a government-sponsored program,” explains Starkowski.
The enrollment process can be accessed via phone (1-877-CTHUSKY), Web site (www.huskyhealth.com) or visiting a local DSS office. A simplified application is four pages long and currently being refined further. Parents no longer have to ponder eligibility requirements. They simply call and the enrollment brokers determine eligibility, which is based solely on income with the added benefit of no income ceiling.
Parents can also enroll when they visit a hospital for care, which is typically where the uninsured seek treatment. At Saint Raphael's, for instance, uninsured patients are informed of HUSKY and “We have posters showing information, applications and we'll let them use our phone to call an enrollment broker,” explains Pinsince.
Saint Raphael's supports efforts to provide insurance to children, and Pinsince describes HUSKY as “preventive health care versus catastrophic-illness care” uninsured residents sought in the past.
With the $1.1 million in grants, Starkowski says, “We can expect further significant growth in the months ahead as outreach and enrollment efforts build momentum. At the one-year mark, we will have a full report on all aspects of the program.”
The initial excitement of HUSKY is likely to see the state receiving decent marks on its first report card. But will the new, improved HUSKY approach succeed in the long run or eventually drown in red tape?
- Sheila A. LaSella
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