Champaign County Health Care Consumers

What Champaign County Health Care Consumers does

Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC) is a 501(c) nonprofit grassroots organization founded in 1977 and headquartered in Champaign County, Illinois. It is the only organization in Champaign County able to enroll community members across all three health insurance systems (Medicaid, Medicare, and ACA Marketplace), and it provides a portfolio of free direct services including health insurance enrollment, Medicare Savings and Extra Help program enrollment, SSI/SSDI disability application assistance (initial, appeals, and ALJ representation), SNAP enrollment, prescription assistance, hospital financial assistance guidance, and housing/homelessness navigation. CCHCC serves low-income individuals and families, seniors aged 65 and over, people with disabilities, homeless and near-homeless individuals, immigrants, and pregnant and parenting women, delivering services through in-office appointments, community meetings at the Champaign Public Library, off-site tabling at soup kitchens and shelters (Daily Bread, Strides Shelter), radio and TV appearances, and partner referrals.

CCHCC is funded entirely through individual donations and community support and explicitly does not receive federal or state funding for its enrollment work. Staffing is small (reported 1-10 employees) but specialized: Executive Director Claudia Lennhoff (29+ years), Director of Health & Disability Policy and licensed attorney Babatunde Amao, Disability Application Specialists Vivian Adams and Shea Belahi, Senior Services Specialist Nicole Mitchell, Client Services Coordinator Adani Sanchez, and additional disability and homelessness team members. The organization's differentiated asset is its credentialed talent base and its role as the county's only all-payer enrollment entity, supported by deep referral partnerships with local hospitals, Carle Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Cunningham Township, City of Champaign Township, Promise Healthcare, CRIS Healthy Aging Center, PACE, the Champaign Public Library, and the Continuum of Service Providers to the Homeless. It has no technology product, no API, and no software platform; its value is delivered entirely through human services.

In addition to direct services, CCHCC operates as a consumer advocacy organization running environmental health campaigns (5th & Hill Toxic Site, City of Champaign Groundwater Ordinance, Mahomet Aquifer, Boneyard Creek) and is developing Hope Village, a 30-unit tiny homes permanent supportive housing community in partnership with Carle Health and UIUC for chronically homeless medically-fragile individuals (Urbana City Council PUD approval January 2024). Annual Awards Dinners have been held since at least 2003, and partnerships with national advocacy organizations Families USA and Community Catalyst extend its policy reach beyond the local county.

Name

Champaign County Health Care Consumers

Legal name

Champaign County Health Care Consumers

Website

https://healthcareconsumers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Champaign County Health Care Consumers is a 1977-founded Champaign County, Illinois nonprofit providing free health insurance enrollment (Medicaid, Medicare, Marketplace), SSI/SSDI disability application assistance, SNAP enrollment, and housing navigation for low-income, senior, disabled, and homeless residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health and Public Benefits Navigation Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAK

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGACAG

Disability Services & Independent Living Support

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

Keywords

• Health insurance enrollment assistance
• Disability benefits application support
• Community health advocacy
• Public benefits navigation
• Homeless services navigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Champaign

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Community Support: CCHCC operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through community support and individual contributions. The organization explicitly states it does not receive federal or state funding for enrollment work. Services are provided free to community members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CCHCC delivers free, in-person health-care and public-benefits navigation services to Champaign County residents, including enrollment counseling for Medicaid, ACA Marketplace, and Medicare plans; SSI/SSDI disability application assistance and ALJ representation; SNAP, prescription, dental, hospital financial assistance, and housing/homeless services navigation. The organization also conducts community education workshops and advocacy campaigns and is a partner in the Hope Village supportive-housing development. All services are provided at no cost, funded by community donations and select township/partner support rather than federal or state enrollment funding.

Product overview

Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC) is a nonprofit grassroots organization providing free social services rather than a technology product company. Its offerings are organized as a portfolio of direct client services centered on health insurance enrollment, public benefits assistance, and disability application support. The core services include health insurance enrollment across all programs (Medicaid, Medicare, ACA Marketplace), a Disability Application Services Program for SSI/SSDI applications, SNAP enrollment, prescription assistance, and housing/homelessness services. The organization also runs Hope Village, a planned tiny homes community for chronically homeless individuals. All services are provided free of charge by federally-certified staff counselors and specialists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Health Insurance Enrollment Assistance Free counseling to help community members enroll in and maintain all forms of health insurance — Medicaid, ACA Marketplace, and Medicare — delivered by federally certified application counselors via in-office appointments and community meetings.
• Medicare Open Enrollment Center Specialized assistance during Medicare Open Enrollment (October 15 – December 7) for comparing and changing Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans, plus support for first-time Medicare enrollees.
• Marketplace "Obamacare" Open Enrollment Center Free help enrolling qualified Illinois residents in ACA Marketplace plans with financial assistance, delivered through Get Covered Illinois, including Special Enrollment Period support for qualifying life events.
• Medicaid Assistance Free help with Medicaid applications, redeterminations, and maintaining coverage, including navigating the Illinois Medicaid system for eligible residents.
• Disability Application Services Program Free assistance applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, including help with initial applications, appeals, and representation at Administrative Law Judge hearings via an on-staff licensed attorney.
• Medicare 100+ Program Free help for Medicare beneficiaries applying for the Medicare Savings Program and Medicare Extra Help to reduce premiums and out-of-pocket costs.
• SNAP Enrollment Assistance Free help applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), including eligibility screening and SNAP work-requirements documentation.
• Prescription Assistance Free assistance connecting community members to prescription medication savings programs and other affordability resources.
• Hospital Financial Assistance Free guidance on hospital financial assistance programs and medical debt relief resources for uninsured and underinsured patients.
• Dental Resources Free dental-care resources and referrals for Champaign County residents, including emergency dental assistance information.
• Homeless Services Navigation Free field-based navigation for homeless and near-homeless clients, including help with shelter access, housing vouchers, hotel programs, and benefits enrollment delivered on-site at shelters and soup kitchens.
• Hope Village Supportive Housing Development Permanent supportive housing community of 30 tiny homes plus a community center for chronically homeless medically fragile individuals, developed in partnership with Carle Health and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
• Community Education Programs Free community meetings and workshops on Medicare, ACA Marketplace enrollment, and health-policy budget impacts, delivered at Champaign Public Library and other community venues.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24 individuals approved for disability benefits securing over $120,000 in lump sum backpay in recent months; $319,188 annual combined disability income secured for 24 individuals
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Strides SheltercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCHCC partners with Strides Shelter to provide benefits enrollment services to homeless individuals. Staff are regularly present at the shelter to assist residents with Medicaid, SNAP, disability applications, and housing assistance. CCHCC has helped many Strides residents apply for and be approved for disability benefits.
• Cunningham TownshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to serve homeless individuals with benefits enrollment and housing assistance. Cunningham Township provides funding and support for homeless services that complement CCHCC's enrollment work.
• City of Champaign TownshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Champaign Township provides General Assistance and Rental Assistance to Champaign residents. CCHCC works with the Township to help clients access these services.
• Daily Bread Soup KitchencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCHCC staff table at Daily Bread Soup Kitchen to reach homeless and near-homeless individuals directly. Staff assist clients with benefits applications during these visits.
• Regional Planning Commission (RPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRPC collaborates with CCHCC on serving homeless populations and housing initiatives. RPC is part of the Continuum of Service Providers to the Homeless.
• Continuum of Service Providers to the Homeless (CSPH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCHCC is a member of this coalition of organizations working together to address homelessness in Champaign County through coordinated services.
• Local HospitalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCHCC partners with local hospitals to help patients without insurance access Medicaid and other benefits. Hospitals refer patients to CCHCC for enrollment assistance.
• Carle HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCHCC collaborates with Carle Health on Hope Village, a tiny homes development for chronically homeless medically-fragile individuals. Carle provides healthcare services including mobile clinic and mobile grocery access to Hope Village residents.
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUIUC partners with CCHCC on Hope Village development. UIUC Humanities Research Institute hosted Community Speaker Series featuring Hope Village. UIUC provides research and engagement support.
• Promise HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCHCC refers clients to Promise Healthcare for mental/behavioral health services and dental services. Promise Healthcare provides psychiatric services and behavioral health programs for adults and children as young as 5.
• Champaign Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChampaign Public Library hosts CCHCC community meetings, workshops, and Medicare basics presentations. Library provides accessible meeting space for open enrollment events.
• Families USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational consumer health advocacy organization that CCHCC partners with for advocacy campaigns on healthcare costs, premium tax credits, and Medicaid protection.
• Community CatalystminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational health advocacy organization that CCHCC partners with for advocacy campaigns including National Days of Action on healthcare costs.
• CRIS Healthy Aging CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCHCC partners with CRIS Healthy Aging Center for Medicare education workshops. CRIS provides resources on navigating Medicare alongside CCHCC's enrollment services.
• PACEminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCCHCC refers senior clients to PACE for additional aging services and support programs in the Champaign area.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AgeOptions: Illinois-based nonprofit Area Agency on Aging providing benefits counseling, Medicare enrollment help, and aging services navigation. Directly comparable to CCHCC's Senior Services Specialist work and Medicare 100+ Program, serving overlapping elderly populations.
• Medicare Rights Center: National nonprofit providing Medicare counseling, enrollment assistance, and benefits navigation to older adults and people with disabilities. Directly comparable to CCHCC's Medicare Open Enrollment Center and Medicare 100+ services, with similar federally-certified counselor model.
• Get Covered Illinois: Illinois state ACA Marketplace navigator program through which CCHCC enrolls clients in ACA plans. Represents the broader network of Illinois navigator organizations operating similar enrollment services to vulnerable populations.
• Progress Center for Independent Living: Illinois Center for Independent Living providing disability services, advocacy, and benefits navigation including SSI/SSDI application assistance. Comparable to CCHCC's Disability Application Services Program and shares the mission of supporting community-based living for people with disabilities.
• Illinois Legal Aid: Illinois nonprofit providing free legal services to low-income residents, including disability benefits representation and public benefits advocacy. Comparable to CCHCC's attorney-on-staff disability representation capability at ALJ hearings.

Broad incumbents

• Cook County Health: Public safety-net health system serving Cook County, Illinois vulnerable populations. Similar mission of connecting low-income, uninsured, and Medicaid populations to healthcare and benefits, but operates at much larger scale with clinical services beyond CCHCC's pure navigation focus.
• Community Catalyst: National health advocacy nonprofit that partners with state and local organizations including CCHCC. Operates consumer health advocacy at the national level with similar focus on Medicaid, Medicare, and ACA protections for vulnerable populations.
• Families USA: National consumer health advocacy organization that CCHCC explicitly partners with for advocacy campaigns. Similar mission of grassroots organizing for healthcare justice, premium tax credits, and Medicaid protection at a national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cchcc1977
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/champaign-county-health-care-consumers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Champaign County Health Care Consumers