Tufts Health Plan Foundation announced it has committed $1 million to support investments on issues facing diverse communities. The funds will go to the New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund, the Latino Legacy Fund and the Asian Community Fund.

The $1 million will be divided equally among the three funds over the next five years. Each fund supports priorities identified by communities of color. The Foundation funding will advance work on health disparities and flaws in the health care delivery systems stemming from racism. The Foundation has also pledged additional resources for racial justice initiatives in the other states where it conducts business (Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island). This new funding is in addition to the $5.5 million already allocated for community investments by the Tufts Health Plan Foundation in 2020.

Tufts Health Plan and its Foundation have committed more than $2 million to support nonprofit organizations responding to the coronavirus pandemic. The funds and in-kind donations support organizations working on food insecurity, inequities in housing and other services, helping women- and minority-owned small businesses reopen, and promoting racial justice. The Foundation continues a two-for-one match for donations by Tufts Health Plan employees and board members to nonprofits affected by COVID-19 and organizations advancing social justice. Since March, more than $280,000 has gone to community organizations through this program.

As the global COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of abating, Tufts Health Plan continues to support its members, providers, customers, employees and others in the community through:

• Enhancing benefits for members
• Compensating providers at 100 percent of an in-office rate for telehealth
• Working with providers on a case-by-case basis to address their concerns regarding payment stability
• Extending premium payment periods for employers who need a bit more time to make payment on a case by case basis
• Establishing an Employee Relief Fund to support Tufts Health Plan employees who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and are experiencing financial hardship, such as the loss of a job by someone in their household

Read more on Tufts Health Plan’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic here.

The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative is proud to have the support, guidance and partnership of the Tufts Health Plan Foundation.