Blue Cross Foundation Awards $700,000

Program will help eligible uninsured low-income Minnesotans get health care coverage

EAGAN, Minn., March 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation has awarded $700,000 to six Minnesota-based organizations to help low-income residents gain access to insurance through a subsidized Minnesota Health Care Program. The funding also will help the agencies prepare for health care reform.

"We know that lack of health care insurance coverage is associated with family economic stress, medical debt and poorer self-reported health status," said Carolyn Link, executive director of the Foundation. "In 2011, nearly 490,000 Minnesotans lacked insurance, and more than half of those people were potentially eligible for public program coverage."

The organizations awarded grants include:

• Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA), Virginia
• Children's Defense Fund, St. Paul
• Mahube-Otwa Community Action Partnership, Detroit Lakes
• Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, St. Cloud
• Portico Healthnet, St. Paul
• Western Community Action Inc., Marshall

The organizations will conduct outreach and screenings, assist individuals with health care program applications, provide guidance in accessing services and support continuous enrollment. Additionally, the Foundation will provide resources to help the grantee organizations prepare for changes to health insurance and health care systems related to health care reform.

For more information on Blue Cross' grantmaking programs, visit bcbsmnfoundation.org or call (651) 662-3950 or toll free at 1-866-812-1593.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation  exclusively dedicates its assets to improving health in Minnesota, awarding more than $32 million since it was established in 1986. The Foundation's purpose is to make a healthy difference in people's lives by improving the conditions that affect the health of children and families in low-income communities.

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation