Consumer Voices for Coverage: Strengthening State Advocacy Networks to Expand Health Coverage

The Foundation's program, Consumer Voices for Coverage: Strengthening State Advocacy Networks to Expand Health Coverage, was designed to support state-based consumer health advocacy networks to increase their capacity to participate in health care reform efforts with key stakeholders, such as businesses, hospitals, insurers, providers and government officials.This grant is one of ten in the Foundation's Coverage Team's target states that will support consumer organizations to work with their states to implement coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). More specifically, the Michigan Consumers for Healthcare Advancement (MCHA) coalition will work with existing grassroots partner organizations to engage communities of color to gather data and feedback regarding community needs relative to the planned expansion of Medicaid in Michigan. MCHA will mobilize those communities, along with its vast statewide advocacy network, to promote ACA implementation and Medicaid initiatives to state policy makers to ensure successful expansion of coverage in Michigan. These efforts will include a state-of-the-art online social media networking campaign combined with traditional communications efforts to highlight a Medicaid issue that is largely missing from the current public debate regarding spending priorities. Through this grant, MCHA will explore solutions to the "churning" issue and the advantages of an Essential Benefits Plan option as a means of improving health care access and affordability among low-income and underserved populations.MCHA is a relatively new coalition that is housed in the Michigan League for Human Services--a leading advocacy organization in the state. The League is a non-profit, nonpartisan statewide policy and advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that Michigan's low-income residents achieve economic security with roots back to 1912. The League works to identify and help solve health and social welfare problems through research and analysis, information and advocacy. MCHA is the only statewide consumer health advocacy coalition in the state, and boasts a large and diverse advocacy network. No Foundation funds will be used for the purposes of lobbying.

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Grant Details

Amount Awarded $247,070.00

Awarded on: 9/13/2011

Time frame: 10/1/2011 - 9/30/2012

Grant Number: 69432