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.

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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation: May 2023

Reports

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation Massachusetts released a new report, “Closing the Coverage Gaps: Reducing Health Insurance Disparities in Massachusetts.” The foundation noted that Massachusetts has been exemplary in developing health insurance coverage policies to cover its residents.

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New York State Foundations Working Together to Preserve Health Insurance Coverage for Millions of New Yorkers

In March 2020, the United States declared a public health emergency and enacted historic COVID-19 relief legislation. It increased Medicaid funding to states contingent on several conditions, including a “continuous enrollment” requirement that prohibited states from terminating Medicaid enrollees’ coverage until after the public health emergency had ended. How well this worked is a rare silver lining of the pandemic: an estimated 20.2 million people gained coverage since March 2020, and the uninsured rate dropped across the country.

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Advancing State Data Collection on Opioid Treatment

GIH Events

This webinar learned about a national initiative launched by the Pew Charitable Trusts that offers states a core set of metrics to track opioid treatment access and use. Presenters described how better data collection can target critically needed progress and discuss the role philanthropy can play in these efforts.

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Blue Cross of Massachusetts Foundation: June 2022

Reports

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation released a report outlining key strategies for maintaining Medicaid coverage when the federal government ends the COVID-19 public health emergency, a regulatory transition that will put many eligible individuals at risk of becoming uninsured.

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Beyond the Headlines: Towards a New Narrative for Health Philanthropy in Haiti

Contrary to the narrative that all philanthropic investments have been ineffective in Haiti, Partners In Health, Build Health International, and Health Equity International have had immense positive impacts on the health sector in Haiti over the last decade. With sustained funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, these nongovernmental organizations are committed to tackling systemic inequities embedded in the health care system.

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