Providing connections to community resources and case management.
Navigation Services
Health Net assists adults and children in maintaining their health and understanding how to navigate the healthcare and social service system—thus, reducing costs and improving health outcomes. The program provides a connection to community resources and case management as well as addresses social determinants of health (SDoH). Our services are open to adults and children who have Priority Health Medicaid, Molina Medicaid or are uninsured living in Kent County.
How We Help
- Connection to community resources
- Explore healthcare coverage options
- Find a doctor or clinic
- Navigate health, behavioral health, and social service systems
- Free transportation for same-day or next-day sick visits
- Please call 616-632-1015 to arrange transportation
Eligibility Requirements
If you have questions regarding eligibility for services, please call 616-726-8204.
CHAP Outcomes
The CHAP demonstration project began in Kent County in July 2008 to improve health outcomes of children on Medicaid while making better use of existing resources and decreasing costs. The program now serves adults and children.
What are the key accomplishments from the CHAP pilot?
An independent evaluation of the CHAP demonstration phase, conducted by SRA International, was released in August 2012. It found that CHAP addresses all aspects of the “three part aim”: better health outcomes, better healthcare, and reduction in the total cost of care.
- At the practice level, emergency department visits declined 5% to 15% over the course of the project, compared to the baseline year.
- Among CHAP clients (those receiving at least one CHAP support service) age 1 to 5, emergency department (ED) visits declined 43%; among CHAP clients age 1 to 17, ED visits declined by 35%.
- When looking at benefits over a two-year period, the social benefits of CHAP exceeded the costs by 53%—a return of $1.53 for every $1 invested.
For additional information about our work, please read:
Participating practices significantly improved the quality and consistency of asthma care by:
in the number of children receiving CHAP asthma services who had an asthma action plan.
in the number of children who improved their scores on an asthma-control test to acceptable levels.
in exposure to tobacco smoke in their home environment among children receiving CHAP asthma services.
in the average number of school days missed due to asthma by children receiving CHAP services.
MI-CHAP Outcomes
In February 2015, the Michigan Health Endowment Fund (MHEF) awarded a two-year grant to the Michigan Association of United Ways (MAUW) to implement the Michigan Children’s Health Access Program (MI-CHAP). The program is based on the results of the 2008 CHAP demonstration project in Kent County. CHAP has continued to grow and evolve throughout Kent County and is currently housed at Health Net of West Michigan.
Key accomplishments from the two-year, MI-CHAP implementation:
- Improved access to care for children
- Development of the statewide V-CHAP 2-1-1 system
- Development of clinical-community linkages
- Support for patient-centered medical homes
- Improved health and use of healthcare services for families
- Learning opportunities for CHAP and other stakeholders
- Increased awareness of the CHAP model
- Focused discussions on sustainability
- Securing Medicaid matching funds
- Collaboration with managed care organizations
- Data tracking and sharing
To learn more about the MI-CHAP model implemented in eight counties in Michigan, please read: the
The results of the January 2018 evaluation of MI-CHAP in Kent County supported the demonstration project in 2008-2012, including the overall decrease of acute, inpatient hospitalizations and emergency department visits.
12 Months Prior | 12 Months After | |
---|---|---|
Instances of acute, inpatient hospitalizations | 194 | 78 |
Emergency department visits | 2,006 | 1,686 |
CHAP Provider Resources
What is the process for making a referral to CHAP?
Clients are enrolled through a referral process. Most often, referrals are sent from a primary care practice, human service agency, or a partnering community organization. A referring agency completes a referral and sends it to Health Net via fax or electronically using HIPAA compliant software. Clients can also self-refer into services by calling Health Net directly at 616-726-8204.
Referrals are received by the intake team and entered into our database, before being transferred to the case work manager. The client services director assigns the referrals to a case worker, dependent on referral reason and urgency of need. The assigned social worker or community health worker follows-up with the client and provides the services needed. Feedback is provided to the referring agency upon completion of the referral request. Clients can be referred to Health Net multiple times and for a variety of reasons.
If You Are a Partnering Medical Home or Community Agency
To make a referral to CHAP, you have the option of doing so through ONE of the following ways:
- Send an electronic referral form by fax or using HIPAA compliant software.
- Call Health Net’s Intake line at 616-726-8204
If you are a medical home or community agency and interested in becoming a CHAP Partner site, please contact Health Net at 616-524-4089 to discuss program specifics in detail.
Transportation Services
Health Net offers free round-trip transportation for same-day or next-day primary care doctor visits.