Humana Foundation Advances Equity Through Community-Engaged Research Practices
Grantmakers In Health’s Maya Schane spoke with Heather Hyden and Soojin Conover of the Humana Foundation about the Foundation’s recently published report, Strengthening Science and Community Impact Through Equitable Research Practices. The report examines innovative research methods adopted by the Foundation’s partners to promote health equity in public health research through community-engaged research practices.
Collaborating for Impact: Providing Trust-Based Grantmaking and Technical Assistance to Support Local Resilience to Extreme Weather Events
In the last few years, there has been an increased number of extreme weather events, including wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and heatwaves in the United States. In 2023, the United States experienced 28 disasters that cost at least $1 billion, the largest number of billion-dollar disasters in a single year on record (Smith 2024). While some areas of the country are more susceptible to these threats, there are no regions immune to disasters. According to a recent Gallup poll, 37 percent of adults in the United States report they have been personally impacted by at least one extreme weather event in the last two years, which is higher than the 2022/2023 survey result at 33 percent.
As More Americans Gain Health Care Coverage, Advocates Fight for Higher-Quality Insurance
People’s Action and our allies fought hard to win health care for millions through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion. 91 percent of Americans now have health insurance, even though there is still work to do to ensure everyone can get coverage, particularly immigrants and those living in holdout non-expansion states.
Philanthropy’s Role in Equitable Medi-Cal Expansion
California has more people enrolled in Medicaid than any other state—almost 15 million of 93 million enrollees nationwide, and the state’s efforts to equitably address the enrollment churn make it worth watching. When the pause on Medicaid redeterminations ended in April, up to 3 million Medi-Cal enrollees, California’s program, were at risk of losing coverage. Most at risk are those often eligible but inconsistently enrolled in Medi-Cal—if at all. Many of these individuals are from poorly served communities who often experience longstanding discrimination in accessing health care. They commonly live in extremely rural areas and lack access to the internet and transportation; have unstable housing; are reluctant to enroll due to their immigration status; and have limited English proficiency, live with a physical disability, or have behavioral health needs. If Medi-Cal is to be a true driver for health equity, we need to close the enrollment gap in these communities.
The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation: July 2023
The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation announced a call for proposals for its Special Initiatives grant program. In addition, the foundation is now recruiting applicants for the 12th cohort of emerging leaders in the health leadership program that begins this fall.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation: July 2023
This study, commissioned in collaboration with the Health Equity Compact, aims to quantify that economic burden associated with solutions for reducing inequities in health (which require investments of time and resources for which there will always be competing priorities.)
Philanthropy @ Work – Grants and Programs – July 2023
The latest on grants and programs from the field.