Hilltop to Collaborate with Maryland on State Health Access Reform Evaluation

The Hilltop Institute and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) have been commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation State Health Access Reform Evaluation (SHARE) Initiative to perform an evaluation of the Kids First Act. The Kids First Act is the first law in any state to utilize the income and household information reported on state income tax returns to target outreach efforts to children who may be eligible for Medicaid or SCHIP. This is SHARE’s first commission. Hilltop will perform the study, which will evaluate the success of the act’s outreach efforts. Study results should not only help Maryland reduce the number of uninsured children in the state, but also help inform policymakers in other states. Senior Research Analyst Cheryl Powell, MPP, at The Hilltop Institute, is the principal investigator for the project. She will lead Hilltop’s project team, which includes Senior Research Analyst Anna Sommers, PhD, and Urban Institute Consultant Stan Dorn, JD. DHMH Office of Eligibility Services Director Cheryl Camillo, MPA, is co-principal investigator.

December 12, 2008