Grant Partners

The Dimock Center, which serves a community with a high rate of uninsurance, will strengthen its capacity to provide health insurance outreach and enrollment services, ensuring that its clients gain knowledge about coverage options as well as how to access and navigate the health care system. The Dimock Center will focus on clients with substance use disorder, specifically those seeking to and who are currently accessing services at its inpatient detox and residential recovery homes. These clients are often disconnected from the health care system, including health insurance coverage, therefore the Dimock Center will enhance its services to ensure that clients interested or participating in these programs are connected with financial counselors to enroll in, maintain coverage. Through 2021, specific grant plans may be adjusted to meet the current health and safety guidelines to protect the wellbeing of clients, patients, and staff.

Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center will enhance partnerships with other community organizations in the region for outreach and enrollment services and it will increase visibility in the community where the most vulnerable clients are likely to congregate, including community centers, cultural events, and libraries. To better assist clients, the health center will implement a schedule to increase access to assistance. It will proactively provide clients with the tools they need to prevent lapses in coverage and will work with insurers to obtain lists of members who are up for renewal, supporting those patients in the re-determination process. Through 2021, specific grant plans may be adjusted to meet the current health and safety guidelines to protect the wellbeing of clients, patients, and staff.

Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL) will identify new ways to conduct virtual organizing in response to the ongoing pandemic. BCIL will continue to provide personal protective equipment to people with disabilities and advocate with MassHealth for stepped-up personal protective equipment distribution for people with disabilities. A key focus area for BCIL will be advocating for increased effectiveness with new One Care plans, a plan that combines MassHealth and Medicare benefits. Additionally, BCIL will continue to co-coordinate the Dignity Alliance of MA, a new advocacy effort that has attracted over 30 groups committed to real change beyond nursing home reform. It will also continue its involvement with the Disability Advocates Advancing our Healthcare Rights Coalition, focusing on social determinants of health.

Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & Islands (CACCI), which serves a community with a limited number of insurance plans and available providers, will provide education and ongoing support to consumers as they navigate the health care system and access services. CACCI works with organizations across the region to ensure that consumers enroll in and maintain coverage through advertising, cultural and ethnic events, health and human service providers, businesses, and outreach to specific populations, including immigrant communities. CACCI offers extended hours and tools in languages other than English to increase knowledge and to empower consumers to proactively maintain health care coverage and access the care they need. Through 2021, specific grant plans may be adjusted to meet the current health and safety guidelines to protect the wellbeing of clients and staff.

Health Law Advocates (HLA) will work to advocate for public policy reforms that help consumers access necessary health care. Key focus areas in the coming year include: continuing to lead the effort to improve access to mental health services for children through the continued expansion of the Mental Health Advocacy Program for Kids, which provides free legal assistance to help low-income, high-risk youth to overcome barriers to mental health services; closing the gap in coverage for in-home health services, such as skilled nursing and non-emergency transportation that harms many immigrants enrolled in MassHealth Family Assistance; and building on the progress made reducing MassHealth’s longstanding difficulty assigning immigrants to the maximum benefits for which they are eligible.  Additionally, HLA will continue to improve access to gender-affirming health care for low-income transgender consumers.

Boston Public Health Commission will strengthen and grow its impact and presence in communities with the highest rates of uninsured by scaling up successful outreach and enrollment strategies, including flyering and one-on-one counseling, as well as its multilingual enrollment assistance in the office and the community. It will also expand hours, collaborate with local businesses, leverage radio and social media to promote its services, and share information about open enrollment and plan selection periods. Through 2021, specific grant plans may be adjusted to meet the current health and safety guidelines to protect the wellbeing of clients and staff.

DPC will organize transgender people with disabilities in Massachusetts and outreach to people of color who are deaf or hard of hearing regarding racial bias within their service community. Additionally, DPC will continue to advocate for changes to the state building codes to increase accessibility for people with disabilities accessing various locations, particularly in relation to housing.   DPC's key focus is to continue to advocate for nursing home policies: overhaul infection control standards, end double-occupancy rooms, and develop new tools to help people transition back to the community. DPC will continue its involvement with the Disability Advocates Advancing our Healthcare Rights Coalition, focusing on social determinants of health.

Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, which serves a community with one of the state’s highest number of uninsured residents, will partner with local organizations to expand its reach to specific populations, including immigrants, recently or chronically unemployed, residents recovering from substance use disorder, probationers and parolees. Through 2021, specific grant plans may be adjusted to meet the current health and safety guidelines to protect the wellbeing of clients, patients, and staff.

Mass Senior Action Council (MSAC) will collaborate with MLRI and HCFA to educate members about COVID-related changes within MassHealth to identify areas for long term change and identify opportunities to shape evolving telehealth policy. In addition, MSAC will advocate for further expansion of the Medicare Savings Programs and improve prescription drug cost affordability through legislative and administrative actions.

Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & Islands (CACCI), which serves a community with a limited number of insurance plans and available providers, will provide education and ongoing support to consumers as they navigate the health care system and access services. CACCI works with organizations across the region to ensure that consumers enroll in and maintain coverage through advertising, cultural and ethnic events, health and human service providers, businesses, and outreach to specific populations, including immigrant communities. CACCI offers extended hours and tools in languages other than English to increase knowledge and to empower consumers to proactively maintain health care coverage and access the care they need.

Greater New Bedford Community Health Center, which serves a community with a high rate of uninsurance, will provide screening, education, enrollment, and post-enrollment services for patients and community residents, including information on how to maintain insurance coverage. It will also attend community events and partner with the Immigrant Assistance Center to inform individuals about the insurance application process and to answer questions about public charge.

Greater New Bedford Community Health Center, which serves a community with a high rate of uninsurance, will provide screening, education, enrollment, and post-enrollment services for patients and community residents, including information on how to maintain insurance coverage. It will also attend community events and partner with the Immigrant Assistance Center to inform individuals about the insurance application process and to answer questions about public charge. Through 2021, specific grant plans may be adjusted to meet the current health and safety guidelines to protect the wellbeing of clients, patients, and staff.

Caring Health Center, which serves a community with a high rate of uninsurance, will provide culturally competent insurance enrollment assistance and education to patients, including insurance eligibility, applications, enrollment, policies, subsidies and tax credits, plan selection, and assistance in maintaining coverage. Caring Health Center will increase health insurance literacy through culturally and linguistically appropriate one-on-one, group education, and community outreach, including to programs serving jobseekers, unemployed persons, students, and community members who need support outside of the health center. It will also implement extensive media and grassroots community outreach campaigns.

Ecu-Health Care will support clients in accessing and maintaining health insurance coverage through one-on-one education and outreach in partnership with local community organizations.  It will also participate in a variety of outreach activities to build awareness of its services and to provide coverage information to consumers. It will disseminate information about coverage through social media, flyers, and brochures throughout the community, and will proactively outreach to uninsured Berkshire Medical Center patients to provide insurance enrollment support. Through 2021, specific grant plans may be adjusted to meet the current health and safety guidelines to protect the wellbeing of clients and staff.

Disability Policy Consortium (DPC) will organize transgender people with disabilities in Massachusetts and outreach to people of color who are deaf or hard of hearing regarding racial bias within their service community. Additionally, DPC will continue to advocate for changes to the state building codes to increase accessibility for people with disabilities accessing various locations, particularly in relation to housing access.   DPC's key focus is to continue to advocate for nursing home policies: overhaul infection control standards, end double-occupancy rooms, and develop new tools to help people transition back to the community. DPC will continue its involvement with the Disability Advocates Advancing our Healthcare Rights Coalition, focusing on social determinants of health.