Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Opens 2019 Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® Grant Cycle

RICHARDSON, Texas, June 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) has begun considering proposals for 2020 Healthy Kids, Healthy Families® grants – seeking partnerships with nonprofit organizations engaged in affecting the health and wellness of Texans through sustainable and measurable programs.

The grants will anchor BCBSTX's strategic community investment focus to help raise awareness around the prevention and early detection of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Last year, nearly $1.8 million in HKHF grants were awarded to community-based organizations statewide.

"These grants support strategic partnerships with organizations that have a shared interest in creating communities of healthy Texans," said Dr. Robert Morrow, who leads Community Investment for BCBSTX and is President, Houston and Southeast Texas.

"We have been providing health insurance in Texas for 90 years," Morrow continued. "We believe it is part of our mission to help our members as well as our communities to be healthy and informed regarding health issues such as Chronic Kidney Disease and COPD. That's why we invest in as well as believe in the power of partnerships to educate and impact the health of our communities."

The BCBSTX grant cycle is a two-step process with part one concluding June 21. Step two begins July 1 through July 30, 2019 – only for those organizations invited to apply after completion of the step-one selection process. After step two, the review process lasts approximately six weeks.

The following criteria are required for review of all HKHF grant proposals:

• The community lead organization must be a nonprofit, tax exempt, 501(c)(3) organization with expertise in chronic kidney disease (early stages) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (tobacco related illness and tobacco cessation).
• The community lead organization must have the financial capacity and qualified staff to oversee and manage the project. For this request for proposal (RFP), "financial capacity" is defined as organizations operating a current annual budget of $2 million or more.
• The community lead organization must collaborate on proposed program with a health system partner – i.e., hospital, clinic, federally qualified health center.
• The community lead organization must collaborate on proposed program outcomes and metrics with an evaluation partner – i.e., academic institution – preferably a school of public health.

Launched in 2011, HKHF started as a three-year initiative designed to improve the health and wellness of at least one million children through community investments. The program was extended as BCBSTX's ongoing commitment to the health and well-being of children and families in Texas.

To date, the HKHF program has impacted the lives of millions of Texas children. Since the program's inception, BCBSTX has awarded nearly $12 million in HKHF grants.

For more information on how to apply for a HKHF grant, please email [email protected] or follow this link to begin the application process.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) – the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas – is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with nearly 80,000 physicians and healthcare practitioners, and 500 hospitals to serve more than 5 million members in all 254 counties. BCBSTX is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) (which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Texas, Illinois, Montana, Oklahoma and New Mexico), the country's largest customer-owned health insurer, and fourth largest health insurer overall.  Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

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SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

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