What Do We Stand For?
One year ago, as we were just one month into the new administration, I wrote that “At a moment when so much has been described as ‘unprecedented,’ and so much of what we value is being attacked, we need to ask ourselves as individuals, organizations, and a field, what do we stand for? What values do we hold, and what will we do and say to defend them?” Today, the answers to these questions are needed more urgently than ever.
Medicaid and Community Violence: Pathways to Sustainable Care
American cities are witnessing historic declines in gun violence. In recent years, cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Chicago have all seen precipitous drops in homicides, with some reaching multi-decade record lows (Washington Post 2025). While there are many causes of this decline, experts in the field point to community violence intervention as driving the trend.
Reimagining Rural Health and Well-being
To inform positive change, Grantmakers in Health (GIH) and the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) are partnering to reimagine a unified vision for health and well-being in rural America. The Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) was engaged to conduct a landscape analysis and facilitate listening sessions with rural health stakeholders at the local, state, and national levels.
GIH Health Policy Update Newsletter
An Exclusive Resource for Funding Partners
The Health Policy Update is a newsletter produced in collaboration with Leavitt Partnersi and Trust for America’s Health. Drawing on GIH’s policy priorities outlined in our policy agenda and our strategic objective of increasing our policy and advocacy presence, the Health Policy Update provides GIH Funding Partners with a range of federal health policy news.
New Campaign Seeks to Address Black Communities’ Concerns About COVID-19 Vaccines
Black people are much more likely than other Americans to contract, be hospitalized for, and die from COVID-19. A new campaign, THE CONVERSATION: Between Us, About Us, is aiming to bridge the information gap between Black communities and trusted health experts.
New Navigator Funding Available
On March 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced $2.3 million in additional funding to current Navigator grantees in federally-facilitated marketplace states to support the outreach, education, and enrollment efforts around the 2021 special enrollment period (now through May 15, 2021). The 30 organizations eligible to receive these funds work across 28 states to help consumers access financial assistance through HealthCare.gov, complete their applications, and enroll in coverage through the marketplace, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
It’s Up to You
The Ad Council and the COVID Collaborative have launched a new campaign to educate the American public and build confidence around the COVID-19 vaccines.
Centering Equity in Sugary Drink Tax Policy: Tax Design and Policy Research Recommendations
Healthy Food America has released the Sugary Drink Tax Equity Workgroup’s recommendations on how to design equitable sugary drink tax policy. Based on a year-long participatory process, the recommendations are focused on helping advocates and policymakers design sugary drink taxes that are centered in equity and benefit communities most negatively impacted by the beverage industry and sugary drink products.
New State Palliative Care Budget and Policy Tracking Tool
The National Academy for State Health Policy has created an interactive map tracking new state palliative care legislation and related budget initiatives that are designed to promote and expand access to palliative care.
Philanthropy’s Rural Blind Spot
This timely analysis of shows how two aspects of distress—lack of human capital and economic disadvantage—predict communities’ likelihood of both applying for and receiving funding, explores the reasons for these inequities, and provides real-world examples of how funders can better serve these communities.