Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2F HICs)
WHAT ARE F2F HICs?
Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2F HICs) are non-profit organizations that help families of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and the professionals who serve them. Because the health care needs of CYSHCN are chronic and complex, parents and caregivers are often challenged with finding the resources to provide and finance health care for their children. F2F HICs are in a unique position to help families because they are typically staffed/run by parents of CYSHCN themselves, and as parents, they have traveled through the maze of services and programs designed to help CYSHCN. Staff at F2F HICs understand the issues that families face, provide advice, offer a multitude of resources, and tap into a network of other families and professionals for support and information. Family Voices, through the National Center for Family / Professional Partnerships, provides technical assistance, training, and connections to other F2F HICs and partnering organizations.
HOW DO F2F HICs HELP?
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal Child Health Bureau (MCHB) provides the primary funding support for F2F HICs, as authorized by the Family Opportunity Act (FOA), legislation signed into law in 2006 (as a part of the Deficit Reduction Act). Through this funding, HRSA's MCHB currently supports F2F HICs in 30 states as of 2007. By 2009, all states and the District of Columbia should have FOA funded F2F HICs. Prior to the passage of FOA, funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and MCHB supported F2F HICs in many states, while a few other family organizations obtained state funding to conduct F2F HIC activities.
The list of currently funded F2F HICS is available on our Grantees page. F2F HICs provide assistance in a variety of ways, including support and referral through direct telephone, e-mail or in-person contact, training through workshops, advocating for and connecting families with resources, running listservs and websites, and developing newsletters and family-friendly publications.
As the National Technical Assistance organization, Family Voices collects data from the F2F HICs in order to demonstrate the need for and value of the assistance they provide and to help F2F HICs meet accountability requirements. Family Voices aggregates this data on an annual basis, summarizing data about families and professionals served, type of information and assistance provided, reported health care financing issues, and the extent of outreach activities to families and professionals.
WHAT DO F2F HICs HELP WITH?
F2F HICs provide assistance on many issues related to caring for CYSHCN. Some typical questions asked of staff at F2F HICs include:
- Where can I get information to help me choose a health plan that’s good for my child with special health care needs as well as the rest of my family?
- What are the eligibility requirements for Medicaid? How do I apply?
- What is Title V and what programs do they have for children?
- Where can I get assistance to understand which services my present health plan does and does not cover?
- Is there a way to keep my child’s longtime pediatrician when my job requires that we switch insurance plans?
- Does my new HMO have a primary provider with expertise in children with complex health conditions?
- Can you help me write a health care plan to help my son’s teachers and therapists care for him at school?
- Who can help me find a way to pay for my child’s expensive medications?
- Where can I find safe, affordable child care for my child, whose medical condition requires trained caretakers?
- Is there a place in town that fixes wheelchairs? Loans equipment? Makes ramps for homes?
MATERIALS
- Family-to-Family Health Information Centers Brochure - (pdf)
Information about Family-to-Family Health Information Centers in the states, including contact information. - Families Helping Families of Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs & Professionals who Serve Them
(pdf)
A summary of data reported by the Family Voices Network and Family-to-Family Health Information Centers for the period July, 2005 through June, 2006, about: families and professionals needing assistance, information and assistance provided, help with health care financing issues, and outreach to families and professionals. - Data Summary of 21 Funded F2F HICs (July, 2004 through June, 2005) (pdf)
Findings from 21 funded F2F HICS for the period July, 2004 through June, 2005, summarized by: families and professionals needing assistance, information and assistance provided, help with health care financing issues, and outreach to families and professionals. - Data Summary of 13 Funded F2F HICs (July, 2003 through June, 2004) (pdf) Findings from 13 funded F2F HICS for the period July, 2003 through June, 2004, summarized by: families and professionals needing assistance, information and assistance provided, help with health care financing issues, and outreach to families and professionals.
- Family to Family Health Information Centers Data Summary (July, 2003 through June, 2004) (pdf)
Charts and highlights of data reported to Family Voices by F2F HICs and Network Members; includes data about contacts with families and professionals, topics of information provided during contacts, issues with health care financing, and broader scope activities, such as newsletters distributed, listserv members, handouts, meetings, and underserved population reached. - Innovative Strategies for Strengthening Family to Family Health Information And Education Centers (pdf)
A 35-page report prepared for CMS by Thomson Medstat, Research and Policy Division, that provides a brief overview of the F2F HICs and examples of grantees’ strategies focused on such areas as developing partnerships, enhancing communication with families, serving culturally diverse populations, facilitating the transition to adulthood and ensuring sustainability. - Activities and Accomplishments of the Family to Family Health Care Information and Education Center Grantees (pdf and html)
A 55-page paper prepared for CMS that describes the activities of the 19 Grantees funded in fiscal year 03 and 04 from CMS and six Grantees funded in fiscal year 02 by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), providing information about grant activities, implementation challenges, and accomplishments of the F2F HICs.
