DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION
P.O.
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 168
August 19, 2005
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Jo Lynne DeMary Superintendent of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Family Access to Medical Insurance Security Plan (FAMIS) |
The goal of outreach
for
Since the 2002-2003
school year, the Department of Education has requested
your assistance with getting information to parents about FAMIS. While the
outreach efforts of school divisions and community
organizations during those three years have been successful, there is more work
to be done. It is estimated that there are 10,000 20,000 uninsured children
statewide that could be enrolled in FAMIS or FAMIS Plus today.
The Department of Education is again requesting your
participation in outreach to your uninsured students during the 2005-2006
school year.
The attached table presents the recommended activities and the
anticipated dates.
The Department of Medical Assistance Services has sent
informational materials about the FAMIS program to schools for local outreach
efforts. Community-based outreach
organizations may contact school divisions directly to develop partnerships in
this effort. We encourage you to work with them.
Please use these materials to share information with parents
regarding the availability of low-cost health insurance through FAMIS or the
availability of health services through FAMIS Plus (Childrens Medicaid). We are asking schools to provide information
to parents through a variety of mechanisms (e.g., first day of school packets,
school nutrition program acceptance letters, kindergarten registration, or
report cards).
The school divisions school nurse coordinator/contact
person may continue to serve as the liaison between school-level FAMIS outreach to
parents, the Department of Education, and the FAMIS Office.
Thank you again for your assistance in this very important
initiative to improve the health of
JLD/gps
Attachment
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/inf168a.pdf