Health Affairs

California is considering whether to establish a Basic Health Program, an option under the Affordable Care Act of 2010 that would cover those who are earning less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level and who are ineligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). To finance the Basic Health Program, the... Read the rest of this entry »

As most people have heard, the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments this week (March 26-28) on the constitutionality of various aspects of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. People have scrambled for seats at the court, and, according to what I heard in a news report, some have paid others to stand in... Read the rest of this entry »

Here are some blog posts that caught my eye this week, as I sifted through foundation blogs I follow. The descriptions are brief—just to give you a flavor of what the post is about.  This is a short week in the office for me, as I head over to nearby Baltimore for the Grantmakers In... Read the rest of this entry »

GrantWatch Blog invited E. Richard Brown, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health, to report some highlights from a February symposium on health reform. “Health care reform is not self-implementing,” said Peter Long, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Blue Shield of California Foundation, as he led... Read the rest of this entry »

This GrantWatch column in the just-released February 2011 issue of Health Affairs is full text, free access, to all readers. As many of you are aware, under the Affordable Care Act of 2010, individuals and small businesses, as of 2014, will be able to compare health insurance plans and enroll in them through state-based marketplaces... Read the rest of this entry »

Every few weeks I do a round-up highlighting a few recent posts from foundation blogs that have caught my eye. Topics this time are global health (specifically, neglected tropical diseases), health reform, wellness, and lessons learned by a seasoned funder. Global Health/Neglected Tropical Diseases “Tackling Neglected Tropical Diseases,” by Julie Jacobson, on the Bill and... Read the rest of this entry »

The head of one of the largest private foundations in the United States, the California Endowment, explains how it came to the decision to show its support for the constitutionality of the federal health reform act. Nearly everyone would agree that greater access to health care for all Californians is a good thing. As the... Read the rest of this entry »

The president of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Massachusetts hits some of the highlights of a recent foundation-supported report on that state’s ongoing health reform effort. Call it what you like—“RomneyCare,” “ObamneyCare,” or plain old Massachusetts Health Reform—it’s working pretty much as intended, at a cost that’s within what was projected, and with... Read the rest of this entry »

Here are a few blog posts that caught my eye as I looked through blogs listed on GrantWatch Blog’s “Blogroll.” Other topics touched on are social media and quality of care. Global Health “Soros Pledges $27.4-Million for Rural African Development,” Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Philanthropy Today blog, October 4. This short post summarizes an Associated Press article... Read the rest of this entry »

GrantWatch Blog asked Kim VanPelt of St. Luke’s Health Initiatives (SLHI) to report on that foundation’s “Keys to Success” forum, held in mid-September in Phoenix, Arizona. The forum’s goal was to discuss the critical issues involved in creating an Arizona health insurance exchange. A public foundation, SLHI primarily works in Maricopa County (the Phoenix metropolitan... Read the rest of this entry »

The Colorado Health Foundation sponsored a debate this past week as part of its annual symposium. The conference sold out, as it has many other years. GrantWatch Blog asked Grace-Marie Turner of the Galen Institute, a participant in the debate and a former journalist, to write a post containing her observations. Resolved: The Affordable Care... Read the rest of this entry »

GrantWatch Blog has been on its Fourth of July break. Below, in this post-holiday edition I’ve gathered links to several blog posts that you may want to add to your reading list. Global Health Malaria: “Saving Lives: When the Impossible Becomes Possible,” Alexandra Farnum on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Foundation Blog, June 24. In this... Read the rest of this entry »

Read about a Blue Shield of California Foundation project to educate Californians about the federal health reform law. According to the April 2011 Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll, public opinion on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to be split. Four in ten feel favorably about the law, and... Read the rest of this entry »

Catherine Hess of the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) reports on how foundations are supporting efforts to foster dialogue between states and stakeholders during implementation of health reform. Facts, not ideology, should ground discussions was among the lessons learned at a meeting of state officials and advocates in southern states. Even in political... Read the rest of this entry »

For those who want to change jobs or find a job, here is a selected sampling of positions that appear to be still open. Please note that I am only mentioning here a few pertinent details. I have put links to URLs for fuller descriptions of the positions, with all of the caveats, limitations, etc.!... Read the rest of this entry »

Later this month the Accountable Care Act will mark its one-year anniversary. I have been wanting to mention three items on federal health reform that I was alerted to in late February. Here they are!  Projected Effects of Health Reform in Colorado A new issue brief provides strong financial justification for the Affordable Care Act—at least... Read the rest of this entry »

I have pulled together a list of links to philanthropy-related blog posts that have come across my desk in recent weeks. I hope that you will see a few that pique your interest. During this short week between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, I am keeping my “roundup” post—covering several important topics—short! Happy New... Read the rest of this entry »

Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and chief executive officer of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), sent out a Letter to the Field on Dec. 14. The letter’s audience was RWJF grantees and partners (and for “the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted solely to the public’s health,” that encompasses a big group). Here is some of what she... Read the rest of this entry »

I have been scanning the blogs listed on our GrantWatch Blogroll to the right and wanted to point out some posts that are worth looking at. Check out Matt Sundeen’s informative August 5, 2010, post “To Be Seen Whether Other States Follow Missouri’s Vote against Health Reform,” on the Colorado Trust’s Community Connections Blog. Sundeen, who... Read the rest of this entry »

More from a meeting of foundations, cosponsored by Grantmakers In Health and others and held at Brandeis University, July 2010 How can philanthropies interested in health care delivery assist states in the complex task of implementing health reform? This was the topic that brought philanthropy types together in late July to share visions and to learn from one... Read the rest of this entry »