Health Care and Coverage
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Program Director
Brenda Sólorzano
With extensive healthcare experience from a career spanning both the public sector and non-profit sector, Ms. Sólorzano leads the Foundation’s grantmaking around universal coverage efforts.
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Key Facts
Fact: One in five Californians has no health insurance.
That means 6.5 million people, three quarters of whom are full-time workers and their families. Research shows that those with health insurance are more likely to access health services in a timely fashion and to have better health outcomes compared to uninsured people.
Over the past five years, employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have increased by 73 percent. The increase in healthcare spending is growing at a faster rate than inflation.
Blue Shield of California Foundation envisions a future in which every Californian has access to affordable health insurance and efficient health services. The Foundation believes health coverage for all is achievable in California when the government, businesses, and individuals share the financial burden of healthcare costs.
The largest grantmaking program area of the Foundation, Health Care and Coverage, is focused on three key grantmaking goals :
- Increase access to health coverage for all Californians
- Strengthen the healthcare safety net to provide care for uninsured Californians
- Serve as a catalyst for health reform that uses a shared responsibility approach
Grantmaking and Major Initiatives:
Core Support Clinic and Consortia Initiative
More than 170 licensed community and free California clinics receive core support funds to use at their own discretion. A recent evaluation found that the Initiative's biggest impact was improving the clinics’ ability to deliver services by covering operating expenses, sustaining service levels, stabilizing finances, and covering uncompensated costs. (This is an invitation-only initiative.)
Children's Health Initiatives
More than $18 million has been invested in Healthy Kids premium subsidies to help insure over 70,000 children in 19 California counties. A new Healthy Kids Premium Subsidy Initiative was launched in spring 2007 that maintains coverage for children enrolled in programs supported by the Foundation. (This is an invitation-only initiative).
Local Coverage Expansion Projects
The Foundation provides support for innovative, local approaches to increase health insurance coverage options in a region, county or city. For example, Working Partnerships, USA is working with local stakeholders to develop a Three Share Health Coverage Program that will increase access to care for low-income working adults in Santa Clara County.
Clinic Leadership Institute
A new signature program of the Foundation will engage and prepare California's community clinic leaders of tomorrow to be effective and passionate change agents in a rapidly evolving healthcare environment. This program will offer management and leadership skills to emerging leaders and is scheduled to launch in early 2008.
Roadmap to Universal Coverage
As California debates strategies for expanding health coverage, the Foundation acts as a catalyst in promoting comprehensive health reform. Through strategic grantmaking and convening forums with stakeholders, including policymakers, healthcare experts, businesses and advocates, the Foundation promotes collaboration and seeds new ideas and strategies.
Grants Awarded in 2007: 241
Totaling: $17,440,092
Recent Program Funding
- General operating support to licensed community/free clinics (This is an invitation-only initiative)
- Premium subsidies for Healthy Kids and CaliforniaKids programs
- Policy and research projects that examine health reform financing and cost control options
- Engagement of business community to promote health coverage expansion
- Community engagement projects that promote health reform proposals rooted in a shared responsibility approach
- Local health coverage expansion projects financed through shared responsibility approaches
For potential grantees, our Health Care and Coverage Program does not fund:
- Dental health
- Mental health
- Health education
- Chronic care
- Hospice
- Support groups
- Sponsorships of events
- Subsidies to individuals for insurance coverage
- Projects working primarily with insured populations
- Specialty care
- Individual outreach and enrollment activities
- Provision of direct medical or social services
- Case management
- Capacity-building projects
(Foundation Initiative grantees are not eligible for additional funds through the Health Care and Coverage program).
