Grant Partners

East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) serves one of the largest Latinx populations in the state and several of the communities it serves have among the highest rates of uninsurance. EBNHC will conduct outreach in partnership with local community organizations, proactively assist self-pay patients in applying for coverage, and promote enrollment services through social media and in clinical areas of the health center. It will also cross-train call center staff to provide appropriate health insurance information (pre-and-post enrollment) and support to patients. 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 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.

Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC), which serves several communities with high rates of uninsured residents, will work to reduce barriers to obtaining insurance enrollment assistance by co-locating enrollment services where individuals live, or where they receive other services. CEOC will focus on locations where individuals who are more likely to be uninsured may frequent, such as food pantries, homeless shelters, single-room occupancy residences, English as a Second Language programs, cultural organizations, and job and career service programs. It will also bundle insurance enrollment assistance with its other programs, including the food pantry, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollment, free tax preparation, as well as housing stabilization services. Through 2021, specific grant plans may be adjusted to meet the current health and safety guidelines to protect the wellbeing of clients and staff.

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 community events 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.

Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program will bridge gaps in care for homeless immigrant and non-English speaking patients by enhancing and expanding outreach and health insurance enrollment services at key locations, including shelter sites, where it sees a large volume of patients with limited English language proficiency. It will also expand access to enrollment services at its Oasis Clinic, a dedicated clinic that incorporates a variety of services to meet the needs of immigrants and patients with limited English proficiency. At the clinic, it will inform patients about their health coverage, the requirements for retaining benefits, and provide advice for overcoming logistical barriers that homelessness brings in maintaining coverage. It will also include enrollment services on its outreach van in East Boston, which serves primarily immigrant and uninsured patients. 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.

The Joint Committee for Children’s Health Care in Everett assists clients, many from immigrant, multilingual, and multicultural backgrounds, to understand health insurance coverage options and how to access services. It coordinates enrollment events across different settings and provides focused outreach to specific populations, including children aging out of parents’ household coverage. It will also attend community events and distribute flyers throughout the service area at venues such as service agencies, ethnic small businesses, laundromats, libraries, parks and places of worship including virtually and through social media. Through 2021, specific grant plans may be adjusted to meet the current health and safety guidelines to protect the wellbeing of clients and staff.

Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program will bridge gaps in care for homeless immigrant and non-English speaking patients by enhancing and expanding outreach and health insurance enrollment services at key locations, including shelter sites, where it sees a large volume of patients with limited English language proficiency. It will also expand access to enrollment services at the new Oasis Clinic, a dedicated weekend clinic that incorporates a variety of services to meet the needs of immigrants and patients with limited English proficiency. At the clinic, it will inform patients about their health coverage, the requirements for retaining benefits, and provide advice for overcoming logistical barriers that homelessness brings in maintaining coverage. It will also include enrollment services on its outreach van in East Boston, which serves primarily immigrant and uninsured patients.

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.

East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) serves one of the largest Latino populations in the state and several of the communities it serves have among the highest rates of uninsurance. EBNHC will conduct outreach in partnership with local community organizations, participate in community events, proactively assist self-pay patients in applying for coverage, and promote enrollment services through social media and in clinical areas of the health center. It will also cross-train call center staff to provide appropriate health insurance information (pre-and-post enrollment) and support to patients.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

The Joint Committee for Children’s Health Care in Everett will promote messages about health insurance enrollment via its Facebook page, newsletters, and the City of Everett’s website; place multilingual media ads and coordinate appearances and PSAs for radio stations and cable TV programs; coordinate large-scale enrollment events in partnership with community organizations; offer weekly night drop-in sessions for clients to bring questions or copies of letters to receive group level assistance with enrollment questions; create a renewal flyer to explain the process to applicants; work with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance agency to assist clients who must reconcile their tax credits; and maintain and develop referral systems with provider organizations.

Caring Health Center will implement an extensive media and grassroots community outreach campaign to promote enrollment via multilingual television, radio, newspaper, print, social media, and website advertisements; deliver outreach at numerous community events and venues; support MassHealth members impacted by the Accountable Care Organization transition, increasing knowledge and awareness of new coverage options; develop and facilitate multilingual discussion groups to understand health system challenges; and develop facilitators’ guides, educational handouts, and a survey instrument to assess consumers’ understanding of public health insurance availability, policies, and literacy.