Grant Partners

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.

Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & Islands will participate in outreach activities in Cape Cod and Nantucket; utilize local and social media to inform clients of updated information on MassHealth and Connector plans; outreach to unemployed populations through a partnership with Career Opportunities Center and to immigrant communities through the Immigration Resource Center; use plain language tools developed for multilingual audiences; and coordinate with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance tax sites in sharing materials with clients as they receive tax preparation assistance.

Project Bread is a statewide food security organization dedicated to combating hunger and promoting positive health outcomes through access, advocacy, engagement, and education. This initiative will focus on low-income residents in Worcester County, particularly of Southbridge and Webster, and coordinate services for patients of Family Health Center of Worcester (FHCW).  In partnership with the Regional Environmental Council, Health Leads, and the UMass Extension Nutrition Education Program, medical providers at the health center will refer food-insecure clients to an Enrollment Coordinator.  This position will pre-screen families for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, administer enrollment assistance, provide case management, and assist with the re-certification process.  The Coordinator also ensures clients are aware of supplemental food and nutrition resources such as the Healthy Incentive Program; food pantries; the Women, Infants, and Children program; school meals; etc.  The project will address how the social service partners of this team can collect data on food access to share with FHCW, implement a mobile market to offer more healthy produce, and strengthen its nutrition education activities. 

The National Alliance on Mental Illness Massachusetts (NAMI Mass) will work to improve access to mental health services and to reduce stigma regarding mental health conditions. Priorities include restoring state funding and reimbursement for behavioral health services and improving commercial coverage of emergency services. Additionally, NAMI Mass will work on creating a statewide mental health training program for law enforcement. To achieve these goals, NAMI Mass will conduct policy analyses, organize local chapters and peer support program members, and participate in coalitions and stakeholder alliances.

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.

Metro Housing Boston (Metro Housing) provides innovative and personalized services that help individuals and families achieve housing stability, economic self-sufficiency, and an improved quality of life.  Partnered with Boston Medical Center (BMC), Metro Housing established the Housing to Health program, which targets low- and moderate-income families with children, and administers emergency funds via the state’s Residential Assistance for Families in Transition program.  BMC screens primary care patients to identify those with housing instability through indicators like rent and utility arrearages, eviction notices, frequent moves, and living in overcrowded conditions.  The team will focus their planning year on developing a data management solution that bridges the various systems, and allows partners access to comprehensive information on all services that a patient receives.  Health Leads will ensure that BMC patients are able to identify, access, and choose the resources they need to be healthy by leveraging referrals and connections to social services, particularly housing, through its REACH database.  Medical Legal Partnership-Boston will provide legal consultation on issues of patient privacy and access to data.  

Greater New Bedford Community Health Center will educate patients on practices that will help them obtain and maintain coverage, including an overview of the enrollment process, action steps needed, and key deadlines; set-up a secure drop-box for patients to deposit documentation to expedite the collection and application processes; develop reminder cards that highlight important dates, deadlines, and outstanding documentation; proactively review copies of patients’ notification letters from MassHealth and the Connector to provide targeted assistance for those denied for coverage; and target outreach at self-pay patients, which the health center is seeing at increased rates, to discuss coverage options and assist in the enrollment process.

The Dimock Center will utilize its practice management system to run registries of individuals who might be at risk of losing their coverage based on insurance transitions; lead workshops and information sessions at the health center and with community partner agencies to educate patients on how to apply for, enroll in, and maintain health coverage; notify patients within four to six weeks of application to ensured they received their coverage confirmation letter, remind them of any expiration or renewal dates, and confirm next steps to ensure coverage is maintained; set up alerts in the electronic health record to notify staff of coverage expiration dates a few weeks prior to flag patients that need help with renewal applications.

Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) will focus on community health integration and improving the built environment. MPHA will work with the Alliance for Community Health Integration to ensure that social determinants of health are adequately addressed, in particular through community investments, support for ACOs from MassHealth, and health care institutions’ internal policies.

The Massachusetts Association for Mental Health (MAMH) will work to improve access to behavioral health services and health-related social services for individuals with behavioral health conditions. MAMH will analyze policies and evidence-based programs related to health, including supportive housing subsidies and criminal justice reform, and will disseminate their findings through reports and through their activities as a convener and coalition leader. MAMH will also work to expand their capacity for data collection, measurement, and reporting.

Brockton Neighborhood Health Center will partner with community organizations; help patients update account information, make payments and understand communications from the MassHealth and the Connector; reach out to patients via phone or mail to ensure they understand changes and take steps to maintain coverage; and work closely with patients through individual education and coaching to address post-enrollment issues like selecting a health plan, choosing a primary care provider, and making payments online.

Family Health Center of Worcester will conduct outreach with partner agencies; advertise Navigator services in local media; review all eligibility determination letters received from MassHealth and the Connector, proactively contacting patients who were denied or lost coverage, and assist them in completing the application or re-applying; use multilingual call center software to send auto reminders and targeted messages to patients with impending deadlines; provide group information sessions at agencies that serve target population; and host monthly orientations for new patients to help them understand how to navigate services at the health center.

Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee will leverage partnerships with local community organizations; staff tables at cultural festivals, community fairs, faith-based organizations, and housing developments; disseminate flyers, door hangers, and utilize social media; provide education on the payment system through the Health Connector; provide post-enrollment assistance by educating about choosing a plan, making appointments, how to read medical bills, and questioning charges; and offer financial coaching in light of addressing premium payments. 

Disability Policy Consortium (DPC) will connect disability advocacy communities across the state and amplify the voices of these groups in conversations with state and federal policymakers. In so doing, DPC seeks to re-frame disability as a social rather than medical condition and to shift the focus within disability-related health care from payment to ethics. DPC will serve as a hub for cross-disability advocacy through community-based participatory action research, their co-leadership of DAAHR, and an expanded social media presence.

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.