Grant Partners

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.

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.

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.

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.

East Boston Neighborhood Health Center will target uninsured patients prior to their next scheduled appointment and provide enrollment assistance.  To address churn, it will utilize its electronic medical record to identify individuals whose coverage is about to lapse, and refer them to follow-up assistance. It will develop a health insurance education module that includes low-literacy multilingual materials and a workshop curriculum that helps patients navigate the system.  Ten health insurance literacy information sessions will be held each year. 

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. 

People Acting in Community Endeavors (PACE) will facilitate enrollment and redetermination assistance for many “hard to reach” target populations through partnerships with schools, career centers, and ESOL classes. They will also develop materials to help individuals interpret notices and remind them of pending actions, as well as conduct individualized enrollment and group health insurance literacy sessions.

East Boston Neighborhood Health Center will target uninsured patients prior to their next scheduled appointment and provide enrollment assistance.  To address churn, it will utilize its electronic medical record to identify individuals whose coverage is about to lapse, and refer them to follow-up assistance. It will develop a health insurance education module that includes low-literacy multilingual materials and a workshop curriculum that helps patients navigate the system.  Ten health insurance literacy information sessions will be held each year. 

Dukes County will participate in community outreach events, and use paid and unpaid advertising and social media to promote affordable insurance information. They will develop a folder with handouts for appointments, and adapt a checklist for account set-up, enrollment and payment information, primary care provider selection, and making appointments. It will also set up reminder systems for clients with pending action steps. 

Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) will launch a media campaign to educate residents about open enrollment and how to receive assistance. It will target churn through development of multilingual materials that inform residents of actions needed to retain insurance through MassHealth or the Connector, distribute enrollment packages, and provide client counseling on redetermination. Finally, it will develop messaging about how to retain appropriate and comprehensive coverage within primary care and health literacy workshops.

Ecu-Health Care will utilize broadcast and print media to inform residents of health coverage options; provide presentations to community organizations; educate area businesses about health coverage options for employees; and work with physicians’ groups and health and human service organizations to facilitate referrals. Churn will be reduced through education during one-on-one application assistance appointments and health insurance literacy is integrated into a comprehensive packet for applicants.

Dukes County will participate in community outreach events, and use paid and unpaid advertising and social media to promote affordable insurance information. They will develop a folder with handouts for appointments, and adapt a checklist for account set-up, enrollment and payment information, primary care provider selection, and making appointments. It will also set up reminder systems for clients with pending action steps.