Medicaid Managed Care Contracts are a Powerful Tool for Change; Philanthropy has a Role to Play
As a foundation, the mission of the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund is to improve the health of all Kansans. Our success, in large measure, depends on investments we make in advancing positive policy and systems changes that affect the state and communities. So, with large numbers of the state’s most vulnerable people relying on Medicaid for health coverage and care, we focus on leveraging the opportunities this program offers to sustain improved health outcomes and make progress on health equity.
Investing in Inclusion: How Health Philanthropy Can Prioritize the Needs and Perspectives of Individuals with Disabilities
One in five children in the United States has a special health care need requiring more than routine health services, and one in four adults report having a disability. As 70 million adults and 14.5 million children in the United States have a disability, the population impacted by issues in the aging out process and in the health care system more broadly is far from insignificant. Despite these numbers, disability-related grants represent just 2 percent of total philanthropic giving and are primarily directed towards services and supports that seek to fix or cure disabilities and perpetuate the ableist assumption that people with disabilities are unable to make decisions about their own care.
Sustainability? No, It Is about Building Durability!
Philanthropy has forever espoused the term “sustainability.” We ask in grant applications and in our conversations with grant partners: “What’s your sustainability plan?” and “How do you plan to sustain your program once the grant ends?” Thanks to the influence of Tom Klaus, formerly of Tenacious Change, my thinking has shifted and evolved over the past few years to “durability.”
Philanthropy @ Work – Transitions – December 2024
The latest on transitions from the field.
Merck Foundation: December 2024
Merck Foundation has launched a new initiative – the Collaborative for Equity in Cardiac Care to advance equitable access to high-quality, culturally responsive cardiac care for people living with heart conditions in underserved United States communities. The foundation is committing $17 million over five years to support the development and implementation of innovative, comprehensive programs for cardiac health care across the country as well as promote cross-sectoral collaborations to address barriers to care associated with social drivers of health.
The Pew Charitable Trusts: December 2024
In the Speak Up MO report, residents’ top responses identified several priorities for improving health, including expanding health care coverage or implementing universal health care, lowering health care costs, and addressing the cost of living.
Philanthropy @ Work – Grants and Programs – December 2024
The latest on grants and programs from the field.
Youth Access to Gender Affirming Care at the Supreme Court: What to Know
Ahead of December 4 arguments in a Supreme Court case (U.S. v. Skrmetti) challenging the constitutionality of Tennessee restrictions for gender affirming care for minors, KFF explores the background of the case and potential rulings.
Reimagining Public Health Advocacy: Findings from a National Scan of Public Health and Community Power-building Groups
Drawing on a national scan of nongovernmental public health and community power-building groups, this report explains how Human Impact Partners approaches work to shift the field of public health, the research they conducted to better understand the gaps between public health and community power-building organizations, and the implications of what has been learned.