Grant Partners

Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center (EMK) operates a well-established multi-lingual, multi-cultural team that provides health insurance outreach and enrollment assistance for patients and clients. It serves as a primary point of contact in the health care community for refugees and the immigrant population, ensuring that these populations have access to coverage, can navigate the health care system, and can access care when they need it. EMK also identifies other benefits for which patients and clients may qualify--like SNAP or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) --and conduct warm referrals to internal supports. During the grant year, it will maintain a robust in-person outreach calendar, as pandemic restrictions allow, and virtually engage new community members, increasing awareness of EMK's health insurance enrollment services.

Brockton Neighborhood Health Center (BNHC) works to expand its reach to assist patients and members of the community with insurance outreach and enrollment supports. It partners with local organizations and area faith-based organizations to expand its reach to assist patients and members of the community. BNHC provides education on health insurance enrollment for immigrants, refugees, and people of color in places they gather, and reassures patients from immigrant populations who consider dropping coverage or avoiding medical care due fear of immigration, or confusion over re-enrollment changes post-COVID. BNHC will work to notify patients and clients that are due for renewal, even before policies and deadlines are re-instituted after the state of pandemic emergency is lifted, to ensure continuous coverage. During the grant year, it will also provide education, eligibility information, and application assistance for SNAP through the enrollment process or through referrals to Community Health Workers as health insurance enrollment volume increases.

Family Health Center of Worcester (FHCW) assists patients and clients with insurance applications and renewals, provides education on how to use and keep coverage, and works to outreach to agencies that serve its target populations – people with low-income, the uninsured, as well as immigrants and refugees. FHCW provides culturally and linguistically competent health insurance outreach and enrollment assistance to individuals who are or may become uninsured. During the grant year, it will outreach to agencies that serve populations of interest including soup kitchens, food pantries, and other community-based organizations; attend events at area agencies; develop multilingual marketing collateral; and advertise in multicultural media outlets. FHCW will also assist eligible and interested clients with SNAP applications.

Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee’s (CEOC) multi-faceted approach to health insurance outreach and enrollment services focuses on individuals who have remained uninsured, as well as those who need assistance in maintaining and using coverage. CEOC provides resources to assist individuals to better understand and maintain health insurance that meets their individual needs, reaching them where they receive services, or in a familiar place, such salons, restaurants, and bars. CEOC also assists with SNAP applications during health insurance enrollment, on site, remotely, and at community events, such as shelters, public housing, senior centers, or food pantries.

Greater New Bedford Community Health Center (GNBHC) assists people with insurance applications and renewals and provides education on how to use and keep coverage. GNBHC works to bridge the gaps between enrollment and maintenance of health insurance coverage year-round. GNBHC also outreaches to community-based organizations to reach immigrants, people experiencing unemployment, and young people. The health center also provides referrals for clients who require assistance in applying for SNAP and it is exploring opportunities to provide the assistance in-house.

Caring Health Center (CHC) works to increase insurance enrollment and access to benefits among uninsured and underinsured residents of the Springfield area, including immigrants, refugees, non-English speaking individuals, and persons of color. CHC will increase health insurance enrollment through outreach, education, eligibility screening, plan selection, and assistance in submitting documentation to obtain and maintain coverage. During the grant year, it will increase individual capacity to navigate changes in coverage through, culturally- and linguistically responsive, one-on-one and group education, advocacy, and counseling. CHC will collaborate with refugee resettlement agencies, cultural organizations serving immigrant communities, schools, employment centers, providers, and social service agencies to increase access to health insurance. It will also continue to provide SNAP enrollment assistance.

Lowell Community Health Center (LCHC) provides culturally relevant health insurance enrollment assistance for people applying for new health insurance coverage and those who seek to reestablishing coverage. It also works with patients and clients to select primary care physicians and schedule visits. During the grant year, LCHC will conduct outreach and education at community partner sites, including those that serve immigrants, people experiencing unemployment, reentry populations, as well as faith and transitional living communities. LCHC will also assist clients and patients with online SNAP applications and will refer to community health workers for further assistance as needed.

The Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & Islands (CACCI) will assist individuals and families who are uninsured to apply, select, and enroll in Health Connector and MassHealth plans. CACCI provides individualized educational information so consumers may better understand notices, clarify next steps, and understand redetermination and renewal processes. During the grant year, it will coordinate with community organizations, including those on the Cape and Nantucket, to increase access to health insurance across the region. It also provides consumers with access to its SNAP Outreach Program staff.

The Dimock Center will continue to support its community by assisting with health insurance enrollment and renewals, especially focusing on people who may have never enrolled in coverage or who experienced gaps and lapses in coverage due to trauma, homelessness, and substance use disorder. During the grant year, it will create new health insurance literacy materials in languages other than English and will work to ensure that eligible clients and patients are referred to its resource specialists for enrollment support for SNAP.

East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) provides culturally and linguistically appropriate health insurance enrollment assistance for patients and anyone in the region in need of assistance. EBNHC provides information to ensure that clients understand how to keep and navigate health insurance. To further its capacity, EBNHC has cross trained its call center staff to assist with more common health insurance enrollment needs. It regularly refers clients who are eligible and interested in applying for SNAP benefits to its care coordination team for assistance.

Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) is committed to supporting patients with enrollment and retention of the full health benefits for which they are eligible. Its team educates patients on how to use health coverage, understand covered services, retain benefits, and remain engaged in preventive care, reducing dependence on emergency room visits. BHCHP will ensure that patients across its 40+ clinics and on the street have access to this support. During the grant year, it will expand its health insurance outreach and enrollment activities to new locations, including at Horizons for Homeless Children, Women’s Lunch Place, and through increased outreach services, focusing on a sharply growing number of people living on the street. BHCHP will focus on addressing the churn experienced by people who are incarcerated and will advocate for expanded coverage for this population and others with access needs. It will also prioritize patient access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), along with other health related social needs.

The Joint Committee for Children’s Health Care in Everett (JCCHC) assists clients, mainly from immigrant, multilingual, and multicultural backgrounds, to understand and enroll in health insurance coverage and how to access health care services. It provides consistent, culturally and linguistically appropriate information on health insurance. Once clients have coverage, the JCCHC works to assist them select culturally appropriate primary care providers and assists clients in making an initial appointment. During the grant year, JCCHC will conduct outreach and host events for clients in places where they frequent, attending community events, fairs, health care forums, service agencies, ethnic small businesses, food pantries, libraries, parks, and places of worship. JCCHC will also assist clients with WIC and SNAP applications as requested.

Ecu-Health Care (EHC) helps uninsured and underinsured residents of North Berkshire access health care. EHC provides individuals with assistance with new health insurance applications, renewals, redeterminations, and plan renewals. During the grant year, it will conduct outreach in collaboration with partners, including Berkshire Area Support, to support immigrants, and other populations in accessing and maintaining health insurance coverage. It also works to support clients with SNAP applications.

The Mayor’s Health Line (MHL) provides health insurance outreach and enrollment services, focusing on Boston neighborhoods with the highest rates of uninsured, including Mattapan, Dorchester, and East Boston, communicating with residents in the languages they prefer and where they live and feel safe. MHL is collaborating with COVID-19 outreach workers to enhance its work to connect with hard-to-reach populations. During the grant year, MHL will host virtual and in-person health literacy workshops with enrollment supports, and it will work to reduce churn through case management and dissemination of health literacy materials. MHL will continue to assist consumers to navigate social services, including expanded, streamlined, multi-lingual supports for SNAP access with education to reduce stigma.

Lowell Community Health Center, which serves a community with a high rate of uninsurance, will strengthen services to engage and enroll clients in health insurance and educate staff and community-based agencies about the health care system to increase understanding and trust, especially among refugee and immigrant populations. It will increase efficiencies to improve patient access to health insurance benefits services and it will increase its capacity to formalize tracking systems for its patients to address churn. Lowell Community Health Center will increase timely, culturally and linguistically appropriate guidance to assist clients in making informed decisions and maintaining health insurance. 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.