BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF MINNESOTA FOUNDATION AWARDS MORE THAN $1.2M TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE COVERAGE ACROSS THE STATE

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (October 28, 2021) — The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation has awarded more than $1.2M in grants to 11 nonprofits in Minnesota to support their efforts in helping people access health care coverage.

The grants are part of a specific strategy within the Foundation, which seeks to increase health care coverage across Minnesota, build capacity in the grantee organizations and increase awareness about the communities in Minnesota most impacted by a lack of health coverage.

Grants will primarily be used to fund local outreach navigators, who will connect with fellow community members who are uninsured and eligible for programs like MinnesotaCare and Medical Assistance. They will work to increase awareness of the importance of obtaining and maintaining health insurance and the resources that are available.

“Being able to access health care is crucial to the health of our communities,” said Bukata Hayes, Foundation board chair and vice president of racial and health equity at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. “Connecting communities to the support and care they need is an essential component to increasing health care coverage. These grants are the latest way the Foundation is advancing racial and health equity by supporting organizations embedded in the communities most impacted by this lack of access, including communities of color, Indigenous communities, the LGBTQ community and those in a lower income bracket.”

One example of this is the work of Seeds of Justice, an organization based out of Worthington and a new grantee within the Foundation’s Access to Coverage portfolio. Through research funded by the Foundation at the University of Minnesota, Worthington was recently identified as a “hotspot” of high uninsurance rates. With this grant, Seeds of Justice will engage with community members to better understand barriers to accessing health care and will connect community members with available resources.

“This grant is one of many examples of how we root our work in the assets and needs of the community,” said Carolyn Link, Foundation president. “We believe that community has the answers, and we are proud to partner with our grantees to build relationships, connect people to resources and support the solutions that the community identifies.”

The following organizations were selected to receive Access to Coverage grants. Learn more here.

• African Community Services, Minneapolis

• African Community Senior Services, Minneapolis

• CARE Clinic, Red Wing

• CLUES, St. Paul

• Hmong American Partnership, St. Paul

• Native American Community Clinic, Minneapolis

• Northpoint Health and Wellness, Minneapolis

• Open Door Health Center, Mankato

• Rainbow Health, St. Paul

• University of Minnesota’s State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC), Minneapolis

• Seeds of Justice (Voices for Racial Justice), Worthington

About the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation makes a healthy difference in communities by advancing health equity and improving conditions where people live, learn, work and play, awarding more than $63 million to over 500 nonprofits since it was established in 1986. For more information on Blue Cross’ grantmaking programs, visit bluecrossmnfoundation.org.