1. Outreach to Immigrants Topic of Conference Call Families USA, the Children's Defense Fund, and the National Association of Child Advocates are hosting a conference call focusing on eligible but unenrolled children who are part of the immigrant community. Participants will learn about efforts under way to educate parents and enroll these children in either CHIP or Medicaid. Public charge issues also will be discussed. The call was scheduled for Friday, 14 April 14. 2. HCFA Letter Addresses Reinstatement of Wrongly Dropped Medicaid Clients The Health Care Financing Administration on 7 April 2000 issued a Letter to State Medicaid Directors providing guidance on Medicaid enrollment issues, including reinstatement of families improperly terminated when they left the TANF program. The letter also addresses states' obligation to ensure that their computer systems do not improperly deny enrollment in or terminate people from Medicaid and includes a helpful Question-and-Answer attachment. Click here to download a PDF version. 3. HRSA Announces Health Insurance Access Planning Grants The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has announced the establishment of a State Planning Grants program, making available $15 million in fiscal year 2000 funds for up to 10 states to conduct one-year studies that identify uninsured residents within each state and design proposals for providing access to health insurance. Grantee states will develop statewide systems that offer the uninsured quality, affordable health insurance similar to plans that cover federal and state employees or other quality benchmark plans. Only states are eligible for the planning grants. Grant application kits are available by calling the HRSA Grants Application Center at 1-877-HRSA-123. 4. Partners in Transition: Adolescents and Managed Care Children Now developed this report to provide the managed care industry with practical information about opportunities for strengthening their delivery of health care services to adolescents. The report is organized around two goals for health plans regarding their adolescent health services: * Facilitate Adolescents' Access to Health Care: focus on policies and systems that can enhance health plans' responsiveness to their adolescent members. * Engage Teens, Parents and Community Resources to Improve Adolescent Health: demonstrate the benefits of partnerships to maximizing the internal efforts of health plans. The 68-page study is available for $10.00. 5. Can an Elementary School-Based Health Clinic Reduce Medicaid Costs? Research published in Pediatrics found no significant reductions in Medicaid expenses as a result of an elementary school-based health clinic in Atlanta, but did find improved care and reduced emergency room expenses.