Health Quality Partners of Southern California Earns Grants from U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Covered California to Increase Enrollment and Facilitate Access to Health Care for All Californians

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Quality Partners of Southern California (HQP), a leader in health program development and implementation, announced that it will receive $1 million from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to increase the number of children with quality, affordable health insurance, and $500,000 from Covered California, the state's health exchange, to enhance enrollment of marketplace eligible families. HQP is a subsidiary of Health Center Partners (HCP), a leading advocate on behalf of legislative and policy decisions that support the safety net population. The funding secured by HQP from CMS enables member centers to implement new strategies to outreach to teens to educate them on their new eligibility status and facilitate enrollment, while the funding from Covered California enables members to strengthen similar in-reach and outreach strategies to connect to eligible adults in San Diego and Riverside county.

"We're extremely pleased to have been selected for these important grants, which allow us, in collaboration with our health center partners, to improve access to high quality care for the safety net population throughout Southern California," noted Nicole Howard, executive vice president for Health Quality Partners.  "HQP's member health centers serve more than 750,000 residents today and the financial support from CMS and Covered California will enable them to reach up to 5,000 more people, meeting the growing need for primary care, improving health outcomes and ensuring enhanced population health management."

The funding comes on the heels of a significant milestone: California's Health for All Kids Act that went into effect in May 2016 and allows low-income children, regardless of immigration status, to qualify for full-scope Medi-Cal services regardless of immigration status, should the state's waiver be accepted. This legislation was spearheaded by State Senator Ricardo Lara and strongly supported by Health Center Partners and other health care advocates across the state.

U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Grant 

The CMS award to HQP, formerly known as Community Clinics Health Network, is part of more than $32 million in Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment Program funding. In total, grants were made to 38 community organizations in 27 states. HQP will receive $500,000 per year in 2016 and 2017, enabling participating HQP health centers to target middle and high schools, along with after-school programs, to reach and enroll adolescents and provide application assistance. This initiative is 100 percent financed by the federal funding provided through the grant, "Medicare Access CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) Funding Opportunity: Connecting Kids to Coverage: Outreach and Enrollment Cooperative Agreements," CMS-1Z0-16-001. The Connecting Kids to Coverage program seeks to enroll 6,400 newly eligible Southern California youth into Medi-Cal in the first year and 4,850 more in the second year.

Covered California Grant

The Navigator grant provided by Covered California will allow health centers to focus on increasing health insurance for all Californians currently in need of coverage, using many of the same strategies and tools documented in the CMS grant. Navigator funding was issued to 47 organizations state-wide.

"Meeting the triple aim of the Affordable Care Act—increasing patient satisfaction, improving health outcomes and lowering costs—requires that all residents have timely access to quality, affordable health care," says Vernita Todd, senior vice president for external affairs of HCP. "Furthermore, securing this funding demonstrates to legislators that we can be partners in implementing the laws they make, supporting California's movement to cover all residents and provide a proven model for the nation."

The grants to Health Quality Partners will allow the following health centers to help close the coverage gap in San Diego and Riverside counties:

• La Maestra Community Health Centers
• Neighborhood Healthcare
• North County Health Services
• San Diego Family Care
• San Ysidro Health Center
• Vista Community Clinic

"Our membership in Health Quality Partners offers unmatched access to resources and collaborative programs designed not only to improve access to and quality of care, but also to drive operational efficiencies and financial performance," stated Roberta Feinberg, CEO of San Diego Family Care. "These grants exemplify the benefits of our affiliation with HQP and HCP, and will allow us to expand efforts to reach area youth and urge them to take advantage of the health care benefits newly available to them, further improving the lives of California families."

About Health Quality Partners
Health Quality Partners of Southern California (HQP), a subsidiary of Health Center Partners of Southern California (HCP), supports community health centers and other safety net partners in taking the best possible care of their patients. HQP accomplishes this through the development and implementation of a broad portfolio of innovative and collaborative grant-funded programs and research projects that focus on improving efficient and effective access to care, patient engagement, quality of care and clinical outcomes. HQP believes that quality health care is a right, and collaboration and resources are essential to meeting this basic need. For more information, visit www.hqpsocal.org.  

About Health Center Partners
Health Center Partners (formerly Council of Community Clinics) and its subsidiaries serve as the nexus for its members and partners to transform primary care through the power of innovation and collaboration. Our health policy, public affairs and advocacy efforts enhance the development of and recognition for our members who enrich the patient experience and improve the human condition through access to quality health care and related services for their diverse communities, with an emphasis on low-income and uninsured populations. For more information, visit www.hcpsocal.org.

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SOURCE Health Center Partners