Grant to Southcoast Children Without Health Insurance

Southcoast Hospitals Group is one of 15 hospitals in the state to receive a special grant for community outreach to help families obtain health insurance.

“Receiving this grant is really recognition that Southcoast has done a good job enrolling people in the MassHealth program,” said Kathy Langford, a Resource Specialist in Patient Financial Services, who is heading up the outreach and enrollment efforts.

There are two state programs available for uninsured families: the MassHealth program and the Children’s Medical Security Plan (available for low- and moderate-income families who don’t qualify for MassHealth). Both programs cover teens as well as young children.

The grant is funded through the Massachusetts Division of Medical Assistance and coordinated through the Massachusetts Hospital Association.

Southcoast’s campaign was first launched in the Wareham area where 500 children have been identified as lacking health insurance coverage. Tobey Hospital is working with the Wareham School Department to reach out to parents and help them obtain coverage for those children.

In a letter to parents, the Wareham School Department asked families to call Langford, who is available to meet with parents on a one-to-one basis. She also provides assistance with paperwork, applications and follow-up processing.

A public information campaign, including billboards on Onset Road and Routes 28 and 6 and posters in public buildings, seeks to reinforce the message.

“The people we are hoping to reach are those who are spread most thinly,” Langford said. “They may be single parents or they may be rushing off to second jobs to try to make ends meet. They may miss the letter in the mail or set it aside to pursue when they have time. The billboards and posters serve as a reminder to them.”

For one family, that’s exactly what happened. “The mother saw the billboard and decided to call,” Langford said. “Theirs is a situation where both parents are working and they have three children younger than age 5. The father recently switched to a job with higher wages, but the health insurance that he had been vaguely promised during the job interview has not materialized.”

Though the family income was too high for the parents to receive free health insurance, Langford was able to enroll the children in the MassHealth program for a small monthly premium.

A gradual rollout of the campaign is also taking place in Fall River and New Bedford. The Patient Financial Services staff is available in the Emergency Departments at Charlton and St. Luke’s until 8:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays for those who cannot get to the office during regular working hours and for patients coming in for urgent care.

Langford said that all services are highly confidential and will be tailored to the needs of individual families.

Parents seeking assistance with health insurance are urged to call Southcoast Patient Financial Services toll free at 1-800-474-1533.

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