One Year After the CHIP Reauthorization Act

February 2010

Exactly one year after the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack have announced that 2.6 million more children were served by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) at some point over the past year and released The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act One Year Later: Connecting Kids to Coverage, a comprehensive review of the past year’s accomplishments in finding and enrolling children in health coverage.

Health Affairs Interview with CHCF President

February 2010

The February 2010 issue of the journal Health Affairs explores continued challenges facing the nation's health care delivery system. The issue features a broad-ranging interview with California HealthCare Foundation President and CEO Mark D. Smith and Health Affairs Editor-in-Chief Susan Dentzer. Smith discusses his foundation's accomplishments since its founding, serving as a catalyst for advances in health care access, quality improvement, and technology in California. Smith also contemplates health system challenges facing both the nation and California during a time of economic instability.

Kresge Foundation Awards $5.5 Million to Safety Net Institutions, Public Health Clinics

February 2010

The Kresge Foundation has announced grants totaling $5.5 million to free public health clinics and safety net organizations that provide care to underserved and low-income populations in rural and urban areas. A total of $4.6 million was awarded through the foundation's Health Clinic Opportunity Fund, launched last year to help build the operational capacity of charitable health clinics, public health clinics, and clinics designated as federally qualified health center lookalikes — facilities that did not receive federal stimulus money and, in many cases, have experienced a major increase in demand as a result of the economic downturn. As part of the fund's first grantmaking round, two-year, $300,000 grants were awarded to 20 clinics in 12 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, the foundation awarded grants totaling $900,000 through its four-year Safety-Net Enhancement Initiative, which is designed to reduce disparities and improve health outcomes of low-income children and adults. Grants of $75,000 each were awarded to 12 public health agencies and community nonprofits in 11 states.

Increasing Access to Dental Care through the Use of New Midlevel Providers [ January 28, 2010 2:00 PM ]

GIH Access to Care Audioconference Series

Underserved populations in the United States frequently lack access to dental care and experience higher rates of oral disease and unmet oral health needs. To help fill these gaps in care and reduce disparities, new models to train midlevel dental providers are being developed. On this call, Dr. Burton L. Edelstein will discuss his recent report Training New Dental Health Providers in the U.S. (funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation). Interest in this area is growing and both state and federal governments have taken steps to support such providers, but plenty of work remains. Next, Dr. Albert K. Yee will provide an update on the Dental Health Aide Therapist program run by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. This program has successfully increased access to dental care for Alaska Natives who are often isolated in rural villages and lack local dentists.  

Consumer Engagement in Reform Implementation: A Roadmap for Funders and Advocates [ December 14, 2009 1:00 PM ]

State-based consumer advocates play an increasingly critical role in making the health care system work well for consumers-- especially for vulnerable populations. This role will become more important following passage of national health reform. Community Catalyst is completing a Public Welfare Foundation-funded report about the value and impact of consumer engagement in reform implementation, lessons learned from prior implementations, and a roadmap for advocates on the work ahead. On this one-hour call, Community Catalyst presented the framework they developed for the report and two state consumer advocates shared their reflections and prognostications. 

Implementing Health Care Reform: What Help Would States Need? [ August 26, 2009 1:00 PM ]

Health funders are growing increasingly interested in how to help states implement federal health care reform, should it succeed in some form or another. On this one-hour audioconference grantmakers heard from NASHP and NGA about the capacity and expertise states would need to prepare for successful implementation of national health care reform. We also heard from funders in Maine and Massachusetts about how their funding strategies changed after reform legislation was enacted in their states.  

Federal Stimulus Funds for HIT in Health Centers: Opportunities and Challenges for Funders [ July 16, 2009 1:00 PM ]

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) invests heavily in health information technology as critical a tool for improving the health and health care of Americans. This audioconference call will provide an overview of how ARRA funds will flow through various agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

CHIP Reauthorization: Details and Implications [ February 13, 2009 2:00 PM ]

On February 4, President Obama signed into law H.R. 2, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) reauthorization bill that will result in over 4 million otherwise uninsured children receiving health coverage. On this audioconference, grantmakers participated in a discussion of the GIH Funders Network on Expanding Access for Kids, an informal collaborative of foundations supporting work related to children’s coverage and care. Cindy Mann of the Health Policy Institute at Georgetown University reviewed the details of the legislation and discussed the implications for states and funders.

Philanthropy's Role in Health Care Reform [ January 22, 2009 12:00 PM ]

On this audioconference, funders heard the highlights of a new report that traces the complex history of health care reform efforts in Massachusetts, focusing on the significant roles that philanthropy played as the political landscape evolved and new strategies and alliances emerged. Special attention was paid to lessons for foundations across the country about affecting health care reform at the state and national levels.

Read About Our Audioconference Series on Access to Care

Grantmakers In Health hosts an audioconference series for grantmakers interested in improving access to health care and expanding health insurance coverage. 

Health Reform: Time for a Paradigm Shift

By: Brenda L. Henry, Ph.D., M.P.H, Program Officer, and Pamela G. Russo, M.D., M.P.H., Senior Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Cost of Chronic Disease

Health care costs are a major concern in the current political debate around health care reform. In 2007 the United States spent $2.24 trillion (15.2 percent of gross domestic product) on health care. Studies have shown that 75 percent of the rise in health care spending is due to the rise in prevalence of treated chronic disease.

CHIP Reauthorization: Details and Implications

This Issue Focus article summarizes a February 2009 Grantmakers In Health audioconference, which discussed the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 and featured Cindy Mann, executive director of the Center for Children and Families at the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute.

Rural Health Care: Innovations in Policy and Practice

All too often discussions of rural health policy concentrate almost exclusively on the challenges in rural areas. But while it is true that rural America has not been immune to the effects of major economic and societal trends, rural areas’ responses to these challenges demonstrate that they are often ideal incubators for innovative policies and practices.

Ensuring the Health of America's Children: Progress and Opportunities

By: Liane Wong, Dr.P.H., Program Officer, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

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Policy Options to Expand Health Insurance Coverage

As health reform emerges as a major issue on state and national agendas, funders are looking for ways to educate themselves and others about the various proposals to extend health insurance to people without coverage.  What are the policy options?  How are they structured?  How much would they cost?  What can we learn from recent state initiatives?  What kinds of trade-offs do we make when we support one proposal over another?  In response to these questions, Grantmakers In Health (GIH) brought together a panel of policy experts to help funders understand the complex nature of policy options to expand health insurance coverage and the trade-offs related to each.  View the archived Webcast.