POSTED Wednesday, April 1, 2009 --- 1:25 p.m.

From the Office of the Governor:

MADISON - Governor Jim Doyle today announced that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has awarded the state $1 million for the Department of Health Services to participate in the Maximizing Enrollment for Kids Program, an initiative to increase enrollment and retention of eligible children in BadgerCare Plus.

Wisconsin is one of eight states selected to participate in the Maximizing Enrollment for Kids program.

"I am committed to ensure that all children in Wisconsin have access to health care coverage by creating BadgerCare Plus," Governor Doyle said. "It is up to us to ensure that we help get kids enrolled and that they stay enrolled, especially now when more families are losing their health insurance. This grant will help us continue our efforts in streamlining our enrollment process to make it easier for families to get the health insurance they need."

Under the direction of the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) and the Maximizing Enrollment for Kids program, the Department will identify reasons that children lose eligibility and develop strategies to help children and families maintain their health insurance without gaps in coverage.

The Maximizing Enrollment for Kids program will help states strengthen their systems, policies, and procedures as well as develop new strategies and approaches to 'maximize enrollment' for eligible children.

By participating in the program, all eight grantees will receive:
* An assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the states' enrollment and retention systems, policies, and procedures;
* Tailored technical assistance to help states develop and implement plans to increase enrollment and retention of eligible children;
* Participation in peer-to-peer learning to share information with other states about challenges and effective strategies; and
* Assistance with data collection and analysis to help states measure their progress.

In addition to Wisconsin, the other states chosen to participate in Maximizing Enrollment for Kids include Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Utah, and Virginia.

For more information about Maximizing Enrollment for Kids, visit www.maxenroll.org