Grant Partners

The Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (the League) will serve as a source of accurate and timely information related to health care coverage issues. The League will conduct policy analyses regarding state and federal issues and disseminates their learnings to policymakers, state agencies, member organizations, and other advocacy groups. Additional priorities will include increasing the League’s capacity for grassroots advocacy work and improving health literacy among patients at community health centers.

Health Law Advocates (HLA) will focus on improving health care access for vulnerable populations by providing direct legal services and advocating to state policymakers. Their direct legal service work will inform community outreach efforts, education programs, policy analyses, and legislative proposals. In their advocacy work, HLA will pay particular attention to children with disabilities, immigrants, and transgender individuals, and to issues related to behavioral health care access. Additionally, they will defend MassHealth members against federal Medicaid changes and ensure access to services for ACO-enrolled MassHealth members.

Lowell Community Health Center will institute a “triage” system to improve efficiencies in how patients are provided with enrollment assistance; extend enrollment hours at the health center; provide educational workshops for clinic and agency staff; develop a reminder checklist on the importance of reviewing correspondence from state offices and completing the re-determination form to avoid gaps in coverage; establish a tracking system that enables staff to reach clients with timeline reminders about renewal dates and post-enrollment issues; develop a comprehensive, multilingual patient education flyer with key insurance information; participate in local community health events to promote insurance counseling and enrollment; create a multilingual brochure listing available health insurance options; and offer quarterly onsite educational sessions for providers, front-line staff, and community agencies on health insurance topics.

Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) will work to defend and expand funding and access to health coverage for immigrant and refugee populations in Massachusetts. In addition to advocacy regarding state-level policies, MIRA will work with national partners to expand health access to all immigrants. To this end, MIRA aims to initiate a long-term campaign in partnership with the National Immigration Law Center. They will also work with additional coalition partners to end restrictions to coverage for DACA grantees.

Massachusetts Association for Community Health Workers (MACHW) will focus on professionalizing the community health worker (CHW) workforce by advocating for statewide standardization of practices, the development of a certification process, and the promulgation of a code of ethics. Additionally, MACHW will work to increase CHW participation in medical decision-making and encourage delivery organizations to raise CHWs’ wages. They will also develop metrics capturing the impact of CHWs on social determinants of health, for consideration by MassHealth.

Boston Public Health Commission will maintain referral systems with community partners; host enrollment sessions throughout the city with a focus on the East Boston and Dorchester communities; leverage social media and local cable access; scale up flyering in census tracts with the highest rates of uninsured, with an emphasis on local businesses and community organization; and develop a multilingual plain language form that outlines when and how a consumer needs to update the state with pertinent information to maintain coverage.                                                                                          

The Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR) will work to reduce stigma against addiction and to increase behavioral health care access and integration. Their efforts will center on increasing access to timely treatment to reduce overdose risk, as well as access to long-term treatment; advocating on behalf of populations disproportionately affected by addiction; and integrating peer support services into mainstream care. MOAR will conduct community organizing and outreach, participate in coalitions, and expand peer-oriented educational programs.

Way Finders, Inc. is a community development organization and the largest nonprofit housing provider in Western Massachusetts.  In partnership with Behavioral Health Network (BHN) and Mercy Medical Center (Mercy), the team will provide a consistent Family Care Coordinator who will anchor, coordinate and oversee the clients’ progress from the moment they enter shelter until one year past the attainment of secure, permanent housing.  They will address barriers that lead to housing instability and poor health outcomes, connecting with BHN for behavioral health services and Mercy for medical care, all the while navigating social service systems and providing wraparound services like employment support, financial education, access to nutritious food, and afterschool programs.  The planning phase of this initiative will develop a case management approach that could expand coordinated or joint services to all families in the shelter portfolio. 

Ecu-Health Care will conduct outreach in partnership with local community organizations and institutions; provide direct-to-consumer outreach via phone or mailings to Berkshire Medical Center uninsured patients as identified through an automated referral system; partner with other area health and human service organizations to establish an online referral system; review with clients the contents of a member packet including information on what changes to an account need to be reported, staying healthy with your new insurance, eligibility and benefits, how to make a payment, and advanced premium tax credits; and expand digital media, billboards, public broadcast, and radio advertising.

Health Care For All (HCFA) will work to protect and expand affordable, accessible health care within Massachusetts by advocating for the continuation and improvement of state and federal health and safety net policies. As a leader of the Oral Health Advocacy Task Force and the Affordable Care Today (ACT!!) Coalition, HCFA will educate policymakers about health care access issues and will engage in community organizing, coalition-building initiatives, and media outreach. Additionally, they will seek to identify under-resourced but effective mental health programs that may benefit from expansion.

Edward M. Kennedy will expand assistance on weekend hours; assist in educating about 13,500 MassHealth patients who will be impacted by changes related to the 1115 waiver and transition to the Accountable Care Organization model; verify the insurance status of current patients days in advance of upcoming appointments; work with insurers to identify members who are up for renewal and provide assistance; formalize an outreach and enrollment network to identify at-risk individuals and refer them to the Outreach/Enrollment team; and partner with community centers and places of worship. 

The Community Builders (TCB) is a nonprofit real estate developer and owner that develops housing for families and seniors, invests in local businesses and public amenities that strengthen neighborhoods, and constructs or preserves hundreds of affordable and mixed-income housing developments.  This initiative will focus on TCB communities in Worcester which house 1,500 low-income residents across three housing development sites.  In partnership with Family Health Center of Worcester, Central Mass Housing Alliance, the Worcester Police Department, and researchers at Boston College and Clark University’s Local Action Research Partnership, this team will implement a family-centered intervention to address housing stability and trauma as key social determinants of health. 

Hilltown Community Health Centers will partner with local community organizations; advertise and author articles in local newspapers and on social media; open a new site in Amherst; work with Managed Care Organizations, MassHealth, and the Connector to proactively identify consumers who need to renew their coverage, and provide assistance; work with employers, small businesses, business associations, home care agencies, and other organizations to reach part-time, seasonally, and self-employed people at risk for churn; and develop an advertising and social media campaign informing the public about the important of renewing coverage and open enrollment.

Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL) will represent the interests of individuals with disabilities to policymakers and health care delivery system leaders. BCIL will work to ensure the availability of funds for accessible medical equipment, the continuation of funding for One Care plans, and the stability of MassHealth’s partnership with community-based organizations. BCIL will partner with other organizations in representing the disability community to accountable care organizations. Additionally, BCIL will continue its involvement with the Disability Advocates Advancing our Healthcare Rights (DAAHR) Coalition, focusing on social determinants of health.

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) will provide legal expertise to coalitions and organizations that maintain and improve health care coverage for low-income Massachusetts residents. MLRI will conduct policy research and analyses to help Massachusetts-based and national partners understand how federal regulations may impact coverage. Additionally, MLRI will advocate for ways to reduce churn among MassHealth beneficiaries and will work to ensure that MassHealth members know their rights as consumers.