Grant Partners

Health Care for All (HCFA) advocates for consumers on health care access, quality, and cost. HCFA's goals, strategies, and tactics are shaped by thousands of consumer experiences captured by the HelpLine, outreach, and ongoing organizing efforts. HCFA will focus on three key areas: affordability, health equity, and integration. HCFA's affordability agenda includes a three-pronged approach – addressing pharmaceutical costs, hospital costs, and insurer costs.  Related to health equity, HCFA will advocate to require MassHealth to extend coverage to 12 months postpartum, ensuring continuous coverage during a critical time, and advocate to improve equitable access to health coverage for children with disabilities by expanding CommonHealth coverage to all qualifying children and young adults with disabilities, regardless of their immigration status. Additionally, HCFA will work to better integrate care so that health-related social needs, primary care, behavioral health, oral health, pediatric care, and other services are provided and addressed in a more coordinated and efficient system for consumers. 

Mass Senior Action Council (MSAC) is a member-led organization and is the only organization in Massachusetts that informs, engages, and empowers low-income seniors from diverse communities to have direct input in shaping the Commonwealth's health policy decisions. MSAC will advocate to expand access to affordable healthcare for lower-income Medicare beneficiaries by: raising state income eligibility of the Medicare Savings Programs from 165% to 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL); and updating the MassHealth asset limit to exclude life insurance policies. In addition, it will continue to meet with a range of stakeholders to better understand the oversight of Long-Term Care and to identify opportunities for increased protections for residents of nursing facilities. MSAC will also continue to advocate for a fully integrated intake and eligibility process for state health, food, and other means-tested benefits. MSAC is also continuing its efforts to have all 6 Senior Care Options programs include Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other benefit enrollment during their intake and re-certification processes. 

The Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (MLCHC) works to support community health centers (CHC) and seeks to advance its knowledge and identify entry points for increased direct advocacy, while continuing to support the ongoing work of CHCs. It is seen as a trusted source of information for CHCs and is often called on by the state for policy expertise, input, and convening functions.  MLCHC will finalize negotiation and implementation of MassHealth’s Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) prospective payment system, and promote equitable access to telehealth by leveraging funding to develop digital access initiatives, including a CHC digital bridge pilot.  Additionally, MLCHC will advocate for continued and new workforce investments to address shortages; investments will develop and expand programs that focus on the growth of culturally and linguistically diverse CHC care teams that include behavioral health, community health workers (CHWs), and peer supports to address patients' health-related social needs.

Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) is the largest coalition organization in New England advocating for the rights and integration of the over 1.2 million foreign-born residents of Massachusetts. MIRA will secure funding for services and outreach to immigrants, state housing assistance programs, and other crucial programs for immigrant health and wellbeing.   Additionally, it will seek to end deep racial disparities in the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in MA. MIRA provides the Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition with ongoing communications services, including the regular release of up-to-date developments in six languages for dissemination to the Commonwealth's immigrant communities and beyond.

The Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR) educates the public about the value of addiction recovery. The organization’s central concerns are to reduce: the social stigma of addiction; the shortage of timely treatment to promote recovery and reduce overdose risk; the lack of long-term treatment; and the disproportionate effects of addiction on populations such as veterans, pregnant women, non-English speakers, communities of color, and recently incarcerated people. MOAR will advocate for low threshold (non-abstinence) housing and for improved substance use disorder (SUD) treatment access via deaf-friendly mobile and outpatient services. MOAR will also convene information and strategy meetings with Black, Indigenous, and people of color populations to inform advocacy and policy priorities and educate policymakers about fidelity to peer principles, which is integral to the revised recovery coach licensure proposal. 

Massachusetts Association for Mental Health (MAMH) focuses on expanding access to effective treatment and services, reducing stigma and discrimination, and addressing behavioral health services disparities.  It is a critical partner in both the area of social determinants of health and health care reform as a convener, technical adviser, and coalition leader.  MAMH will continue to inform the implementation of the Executive Office of Health and Human Service's Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform and the Strategic Design Work Group for MassHealth's 1115 waiver renewal. It will also advocate for the implementation of behavioral health parity laws; and educate and engage stakeholders around the need to expand access to timely, comprehensive, community-based, and culturally and linguistically responsive services.  In addition, MAMH will continue to engage communities of color in the content and user experience of Network of Care Massachusetts' Culturally Responsive Behavioral Health Information Hub and expand its partnership with the Urban League to tackle disparities. 

Disability Policy Consortium (DPC) promotes health justice and ending health disparities for people with disabilities.  DPC will work with people of color-led organizations for more equitable distribution of health resources and better data collection on marginalized communities.  DPC will advocate for regulatory overhaul focused on changing MassHealth policies around absorbency products and wheelchair repair.  In addition, it will continue its work with the Dignity Alliance Massachusetts to fight for fundamental long-term care reform, from banning double-occupancy rooms to diverting significant funding to home-based care.

The Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA) promotes a healthy Massachusetts through advocacy, community organizing, and coalition building. MPHA works with community groups, state policy organizations, health care institutions, state agencies, and others to identify community health challenges, design policy solutions, and advocate for action.  It will advocate to improve and invest in our local public health system so that local public health departments can meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.   It will organize to win inclusion of Alliance for Community Health Integration recommendations in the next 1115 waiver and advance a suite of housing and transportation policy reforms, including protections for renters and working-class homeowners, investments in public transit, and stronger accountability for air quality improvements. 

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) represents individual clients and works in coalition with other organizations that have consumers as their members.  Through these relationships, MLRI enriches its understanding of systemic issues and enlists additional individuals and organizations to advocate for access to quality health care, immigrant health care rights, and issues of importance to individuals with disabilities.  MLRI will assure that unwinding the COVID-19 protection in 2022 does not result in eligible individuals losing benefits. It will also advocate for MassHealth to retain flexibilities in place during COVID-19 after the Public Health Emergency ends. At the same time, MLRI will be advocating for expanded eligibility for criminal-justice-involved individuals before release, and other expansions of current coverage. Additionally, MLRI will address barriers to coverage and care for the remaining uninsured and will work on expanding coverage options for non-citizens, including undocumented children and pregnant women.

Health Care for All (HCFA) advocates for consumers on health care access, quality, and cost. HCFA's goals, strategies, and tactics are shaped by thousands of consumer experiences captured by the HelpLine, outreach, and ongoing organizing efforts. HCFA will focus on three key areas: affordability, health equity, and integration. HCFA's affordability agenda includes a three-pronged approach – addressing pharmaceutical costs, hospital costs, and insurer costs.  Related to health equity, HCFA will advocate to require MassHealth to extend coverage to 12 months postpartum, ensuring continuous coverage during a critical time, and advocate to improve equitable access to health coverage for children with disabilities by expanding CommonHealth coverage to all qualifying children and young adults with disabilities, regardless of their immigration status. Additionally, HCFA will work to better integrate care so that health-related social needs, primary care, behavioral health, oral health, pediatric care, and other services are provided and addressed in a more coordinated and efficient system for consumers. 

Mass Senior Action Council (MSAC) is a member-led organization and is the only organization in Massachusetts that informs, engages, and empowers low-income seniors from diverse communities to have direct input in shaping the Commonwealth's health policy decisions. MSAC will advocate to expand access to affordable healthcare for lower-income Medicare beneficiaries by: raising state income eligibility of the Medicare Savings Programs from 165% to 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL); and updating the MassHealth asset limit to exclude life insurance policies. In addition, it will continue to meet with a range of stakeholders to better understand the oversight of Long-Term Care and to identify opportunities for increased protections for residents of nursing facilities. MSAC will also continue to advocate for a fully integrated intake and eligibility process for state health, food, and other means-tested benefits. MSAC is also continuing its efforts to have all 6 Senior Care Options programs include Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other benefit enrollment during their intake and re-certification processes. 

The Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (MLCHC) works to support community health centers (CHC) and seeks to advance its knowledge and identify entry points for increased direct advocacy, while continuing to support the ongoing work of CHCs. It is seen as a trusted source of information for CHCs and is often called on by the state for policy expertise, input, and convening functions.  MLCHC will finalize negotiation and implementation of MassHealth’s Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) prospective payment system, and promote equitable access to telehealth by leveraging funding to develop digital access initiatives, including a CHC digital bridge pilot.  Additionally, MLCHC will advocate for continued and new workforce investments to address shortages; investments will develop and expand programs that focus on the growth of culturally and linguistically diverse CHC care teams that include behavioral health, community health workers (CHWs), and peer supports to address patients' health-related social needs.

Health Law Advocates (HLA) advocates for public policy reforms that help consumers access necessary health care and provides legal expertise with grassroots organizing and policy reform to advance healthcare access.  HLA will advocate to reduce barriers preventing immigrants from accessing health care. It will focus on improving health insurance coverage for immigrants and reducing the medical debt incurred by immigrants. HLA will help immigrants access health care through three interrelated activities: policy advocacy, legal assistance for immigrants, and training programs for providers. Additionally, HLA will continue its longstanding advocacy for better access to mental health care for youth. HLA lawyers will advocate with policymakers across our health care, human services, education, and judicial systems to remove barriers to mental health care for children. 

Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL) advocates with and for people with disabilities. BCIL will respond to developing situations related to the pandemic, which could include seeking timely access to booster vaccines and expanding homebound vaccinations. It will also work on prior authorization changes and new programs for expedited wheelchair repairs.  Additionally, BCIL will develop a consumer advisory group with MassHealth to monitor medical transportation providers.

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) will provide legal expertise to coalitions and organizations that maintain and improve health care coverage for economically marginalized Massachusetts residents.  A key focus will be identifying Medicaid policy flexibilities that should be made permanent when we transition out of the COVID-19 moratorium period. Also, MLRI will ensure that the MassHealth eligibility rules and utilization controls for accessing Long Term Services and Supports and other services for people with disabilities are lawful, and that people with disabilities have information about their treatment options and can access the services they need.  MLRI will continue to improve the current eligibility systems, forms, notices, verification procedures, and data systems that are used to determine eligibility for MassHealth so that eligible beneficiaries can obtain timely decisions and avoid losing benefits for procedural reasons. In addition, MLRI will educate MassHealth beneficiaries to obtain information about their choices for delivery of care, know their rights about participating in care decisions, and understand how to seek recourse through the grievance and administrative hearing decisions.