Medica 2019 Annual Report

New Interventions for Youth Experiencing Homelessness The Medica Foundation awarded a strategic grant of $200,000 to YouthLink, a Minneapolis nonprofit that connects youth ages 16-24 who are experiencing homelessness with community resources to meet their immediate needs and help them build stable futures. We were impressed with YouthLink’s innovative proposal to develop a holistic, trauma- informed model that integrates health and wellness support into every point of contact with the youth they serve. The needs of homeless youth go beyond food, shelter and safety. More than 80% of the 2,000 young people YouthLink serves each year have experienced some form of abuse, trauma or victimization in their lives. Survivors of childhood trauma often have difficulty regulating their emotions in response to stress, which can lead to negative consequences in housing, school, employment and relationships. With our grant, YouthLink invested in important training to help staff to recognize the many stress triggers of homeless youth. YouthLink also created a dedicated space where young people can relax, center themselves and practice self-calming skills. With its new Integrative Health and Wellness Service Model in place, YouthLink has transformed from an organization focused on crisis intervention to one that is well equipped to provide long-term solutions for the unique mental, physical, emotional and spiritual needs of homeless youth.

“I want to extend to you, on behalf of all of us here at Nebraska Farm Bureau, a BIG THANK YOU for your work in keeping our plan alive and well.” Rob Robertson Chief Administrator, Nebraska Farm Bureau

Protecting Access to Affordable Coverage

With some farm families paying as much as $40,000 a year for premiums in the individual market, the scarcity of affordable health care options was a top concern of Nebraska Farm Bureau members in 2018. A solution was urgently needed, so the Farm Bureau teamed with Medica to offer a large-group Association Health Plan (AHP) in 2019. Farmers and ranchers who didn’t qualify for a subsidized premium in the individual market could save as much as 25% by signing up, and a lot of them did. The Farm Bureau AHP suffered a setback almost immediately. In March 2019, a federal court ruled that sole proprietors aren’t permitted to participate in group AHPs under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Absent another innovative solution, many Nebraska farmers and ranchers would lose their coverage. We immediately sat down with the Farm Bureau and got to work. Together, we created limited-duration policies under the ACA that provide farmers and ranchers with access to affordable coverage on an interim basis and buy time for a long-term solution to emerge as the ACA is further shaped by Congress and the courts. These policies now cover more than 1,100 people across Nebraska who otherwise would have lost coverage.

$318,000 total funds granted to YouthLink over 12 years to develop innovative approaches to supporting homeless youth

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