Advancing Health System Reform: Grant Funding

Ongoing or Previous Grant Funding


January 2012: Ongoing Work to Inform and Engage Maine People about Health Reform
With the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, it was clear that Maine people needed to understand and know how to access benefits created through the new law.  Shortly after the ACA was enacted, MeHAF awarded over $400,000 to support 10 grantees and two consultants to build an outreach and education collaborative.  Working closely with a seasoned program officer with policy and advocacy experience, these organizations worked to develop, test and adopt mutually agreed upon simple and effective messages that were tailored for MeHAF's priority populations.  Simple, clear messages have been developed by the group, and grantees are continually providing feedback on the effectiveness of the strategies and messages they are using to inform ongoing improvements and maximize collective impact.  While over 100,000 brochures were distributed in 2011, the grantees found that messages were most effective when delivered one-on-one.  This year's group work plan focuses on maximizing personal conversations and asking the people reached to help us spread the word.  Two new organizations have joined the collaborative to help engage and inform communities with diverse language and cultural needs.  In 2012, MeHAF is investing another $400,000 and program staff time to continue and evaluate this work.  Representative grantees include:  Eastern Area Agency on Aging, Consumers for Affordable Health Care, Somali Culture and Development Association.  For more information, contact Kim Crichton, Senior Program Officer for Policy at kcrichton@mehaf.org or (207) 620-8266 x103.

November 2011: Advocacy at the State Agency Level 
In October 2011, MeHAF awarded a total of $495,600 in two-year grants to four Maine organizations to ensure the interests of uninsured and medically underserved Maine people are well represented as state executive branch policy makers develop rules and policies to guide the implementation of new laws, including the state's new health insurance reform law (Public Law, Chapter 90) and key portions of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). Much of the grantee's work related to the ACA will focus on the state rulemaking related to the Exchange, and its alignment with other coverage programs including Medicaid. Several grantees are also interested in exploring the opportunity for increasing coverage through the Basic Health Plan.  MeHAF funding will also support the creation and development of a formal government-to-government consultation process between the Maine's four Tribal Nations and the State.  Representative grantees include Maine Equal Justice, Indian Township Tribal Government.   For more information, contact Kim Crichton, Senior Program Officer for Policy at kcrichton@mehaf.org or (207) 620-8266 x103.

July 2011: Health Reform Outreach for Maine People with Diverse Language and Cultural Needs
This program provided two grants of up to $5,000 to non-profit organizations that have proven relationships with communities with diverse language or cultural needs.  These grants complement other efforts already underway to help ensure that important information about national health reform is available to all Maine people.  Please contact Kimberly Crichton, Senior Program Officer for Policy at (207) 620-8266 x103 or kcrichton@mehaf.org, for questions about this grant program.

2008 - 2011: Payment Reform and Cost Containment
Maine spends more on health care per capita than most states, yet our higher spending does not result in fewer hospitalizations, better disease detection and management, or better health outcomes.  As of January 2012, eight organizations are working on projects focused on mitigating the increasing cost of health care through innovative payment reform strategies and ensuring that people who are uninsured and medically underserved are included in these efforts.  These projects will reform payment for health care in ways that preserve access, improve quality, and offer better value for our health care spending.  MeHAF has awarded nearly $1.6 million in two rounds of two-year grants to support this work.  Prior to these grants, MeHAF awarded approximately $1.2 million in 2008 for two-year grants to support policy and advocacy intended to reduce health care costs through better transparency, developing new payment models and improving coverage continuity while decreasing administrative costs.  For more information, contact Barbara Leonard, Vice President for Programs at bleonard@mehaf.org or (207) 620-8266 x102.

March 2011: MeHAF/ Grantmakers in Health ACA Grantwriting Fund
Grantmakers In Health (GIH) awarded MeHAF $15,000 in grant funding, which we have matched with an additional $15,000 to support Maine's Department of Health and Human Services in developing grant applications in response to funding opportunities in the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Funds have been used to hire skilled grant writers.  Four proposals have been submitted focusing on issues ranging from improving care for MaineCare members with multiple chronic diseases to improving health information technology for use by behavioral health providers.  Funding for these grants was provided by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  For more information, contact Barbara Leonard, Vice President for Programs at bleonard@mehaf.org or (207) 620-8266 x102.