Celebrating a Milestone!

150,000 Virginians have obtained Medicaid/FAMIS health insurance coverage thanks to the hard work of the VHCF’s Project Connect Outreach Workers over the years. These specially trained Outreach Workers are located in areas of the state with high numbers of eligible uninsured Virginians. They work closely with community partners to identify those who are eligible for coverage. They provide 1:1 help completing applications and coordinate with the state call center or the applicants local Department of Social Services to solve problems, as necessary.

Find a Project Connect Outreach Worker: vhcf.org/who-and-how-we-help/Medicaid-famis-outreach-enrollment/project-connect/.

2024 Profile of Virginia’s Uninsured is Available

The 2024 Profile of Virginia’s Uninsured, developed by the Urban Institute is available on VHCF’s website. The Profile’s slides, maps and detailed tables include a host of information about the uninsured in the Commonwealth and can help guide outreach efforts.

This year’s report shows the lowest uninsured rates in Virginia since the Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) began tracking them in 1996 (7.7% or 544,000 of nonelderly Virginians). Thank you to the state and local agencies and community organizations for the tremendous effort to get Virginians covered.

While this is great news, there is still work to be done!

• Almost 40% of uninsured adult Virginians, ages 19 – 64, live in households earning ≤138% FPL (176,000). These 176,000 adult Virginians meet the income eligibility requirements for Medicaid.
• 39,000 uninsured Virginia children are income-eligible for Medicaid/FAMIS. This is 44% of all uninsured Virginia children.
• Hispanic Virginians are more likely to be uninsured than Virginians of other races and ethnicities. The 2024 Profile includes two tables with a special profile of Virginia’s Hispanic children and adults who are income-eligible for Medicaid/FAMIS. 

Attention Assisters! New Cover Virginia Call Center Menu  

Effective April 1, 2024, the Cover VA Interactive Call Response (IVR) menus changed. Updates were made throughout the IVR to remove items for the Public Health Emergency Unwinding, but the most notable change for our navigator/ assister partners is the placement for the Assister option on the Main Menu. The previous flow had the Assister/ Navigator placement as option 7 on the Main Menu. Once the changes went into effect on April 1, that option was moved to option 9. The updated flow is shown below:

Nutrition and Oral Health

Brought to you by Smiles For Children

While National Nutrition Month (March) has come and gone, this is still a good time for us to think about what we eat and how it affects our health.

Did you know that what we eat also affects our teeth and gums? Eating too much sugar or food that is acidic can cause tooth decay. This can cause problems like gum disease. So, it's important to be careful about what we eat. By being mindful of what we eat, we can take better care of our teeth and our overall health.

Eligible Medicaid/FAMIS members have access to comprehensive dental benefits through the Smiles For Children program. Members who need help finding a dentist can call the Smiles For Children member services line at 1-888-912-3456. Virginians who do not have dental insurance can visit vhcf.org/looking-for-dental-care/ and enter an address to find a local clinic offering free or discounted dental services.

Congratulations, Emily!

Emily Roller, VHCF’s fabulous Director of Health Insurance Initiatives, is now using her many talents at the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services as a Senior Management Analyst. Emily made significant contributions over the past 7 ½ years as she coordinated and coached Project Connect Outreach Workers and identified systems and policy suggestions to improve Virginia’s Medicaid program. Her policy experience and in-depth Medicaid knowledge will enable her to continue to help improve health coverage for Virginians! 

Medicaid/FAMIS Enrollment

As of April 1, 2024, there were 2.12 million Virginians enrolled in Medicaid/FAMIS. This includes:

• 834,620 adults enrolled in Medicaid Expansion (“New Adult Coverage”);
• 40,571 pregnant/postpartum enrollees in Medicaid for Pregnant Women (MPW), FAMIS MOMS, or FAMIS Prenatal Coverage;
• 828,152 children enrolled in FAMIS or FAMIS Plus;
• 231,522 individuals enrolled due to being Aged, Blind, or Disabled (ABD)