As states grapple with persistent budget strain, philanthropic organizations are stepping in to provide assistance with the implementation of the federal health reform law.
In California, the California Endowment provided $500,000 to help the state plan a Medicaid “health home” initiative. The Blue Shield of California Foundation hired experts to help the state plan for various health reform initiatives and the California HealthCare Foundation hired a consultant to help the state apply for a federal grant for its health benefit exchange. CHCF publishes California Healthline.
In a California Healthline Special Report by Deirdre Kennedy, experts discussed how foundations are helping states carry out activities related to the health reform law.
The Special Report includes comments from:
- Richard Figueroa, program manager for health reform at the California Endowment;
- Heather Howard, director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s State Health Reform Assistance Network;
- David Maxwell-Jolly, undersecretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency; and
- Marian Mulkey, director of CHCF’s health reform and public programs initiative (Kennedy, California Healthline, 7/13).
The complete transcript of this Special Report is available as a PDF.