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.
Grantmaking with a Racial Justice Lens
Join the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE) on March 10 for a training on Grantmaking with A Racial Justice Lens, a guide providing grantmakers with reflections, frameworks, and tools built from the direct experience of activists and funders for advancing racial justice in any philanthropic setting.
Strategies for Building Confidence in the COVID-19 Vaccines
This rapid expert consultation describes a variety of public engagement and communication strategies that can be implemented at the national, state, and local levels to change patterns of interaction with the public, address hesitancy about the vaccines, and build trust.
The Commonwealth Fund’s Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
The Commonwealth Fund has announced an agenda for its $15 million Health Equity Action Fund – a major new initiative to advance equity in U.S. health care. Its goal is to contribute to efforts to dismantle systemic racism in health care policy and practice and counter inequity in treatment, patient experience, and health outcomes for Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color.
Black Americans Are Getting Vaccinated at Lower Rates Than White Americans
A new KHN analysis finds that in the 16 states that have released data by race, white residents are being vaccinated at significantly higher rates than Black residents.
Health, Equity, and Race during COVID-19
New findings from a national, ongoing poll show that the pandemic has not demonstrably shifted views on the connection between race and health among those most affected by COVID-19, despite communities of color and those with lower incomes being hit the hardest.