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Websites
The following online resources are recommended to anyone interested in learning more about the issue of health insurance in New Hampshire and the United States. We understand that this list of links is neither comprehensive nor complete.

The HNHfoundation is providing these links as a way to begin exploring the general issue of access to health insurance—and the potential resources that may be available to you—whether you are a concerned citizen, businessperson, nonprofit leader, policymaker, or journalist.

We are always looking for exemplary online resources to pass on to our grantees and friends. If you have identified a web site that you have found particularly helpful, and is not included here, please contact us.

If You Need Immediate Help
The HNHfoundation does not provide direct health care assistance to individuals or families. If you need help about an immediate health insurance issue or health care crisis, we recommend the following web site resources:

New Hampshire Healthy Kids. New Hampshire Healthy Kids is a nonprofit organization working in partnership with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and Northeast Delta Dental to offer low-cost and free health insurance coverage for children who qualify.

AFHK-New Hampshire Healthy Schools Coalition, the local affiliate of Action for Healthy Kids, is a statewide volunteer team of educators and health professionals working to address childhood obesity by increasing opportunities for physical activity, healthy food choices, health and nutrition education at school. 

New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. The State of New Hampshire's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) may be able to provide help for those seeking direct health care assistance. For information concerning worksite wellness resources, visit www.dhhs.state.nh.us/DHHS/NHP/worksite.htm.

New Hampshire Help Line. The New Hampshire Help Line is a statewide information and referral service. The New Hampshire Help Line contracts with the Department of Chidren, Youth and Families to process calls involving a crisis of any kind. Phone Contact: Hours of operation: 24 hours/7 days. In the Concord area: 603-225-9000. Toll free (statewide): 800-852-3388

New Hampshire Legal Assistance New Hampshire Legal Assistance (NHLA) is a nonprofit law firm offering free legal services to low-income individuals and families who cannot afford a private attorney. New Hampshire Legal Assistance provides free legal help for a range of legal matters, including health care issues. Offices located in Manchester, Littleton, Claremont, and Portsmouth. The NHLA web site also provides phone numbers and links to other New Hampshire-based legal and informational resources.

New Hampshire Nonprofits
The following New Hampshire nonprofit organizations are either directly addressing the issue of access to health care insurance in New Hampshire, or represent concerned and involved stakeholders in the evolving "access to health insurance" discussion.

Children's Alliance of New Hampshire. The Children's Alliance of New Hampshire is a statewide research and advocacy organization working to improve the health and well being of children in New Hampshire.

Endowment for Health. The Endowment for Health is a private foundation that seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of New Hampshire residents, especially those who are most vulnerable and currently underserved.

The Endowment for Health has recently funded a significant new research project, with additional support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, concerning the issue of the "uninsured" in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies. The New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that pursues data-based research on public policy matters, develops options, informs policymakers, and advises them about realistic choices for action. Recent research includes a groundbreaking, ongoing analysis about New Hampshire residents lacking health care insurance.

New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation (NHCF) is a statewide community foundation working to improve the quality of life for all New Hampshire citizens. The NHCF sponsors, through its many grantmaking programs, a very wide range of statewide and community-based initiatives and programs, including programs addressing access to health care for New Hampshire's most vulnerable citizens.

New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) provides support and services to many New Hampshire residents who have multiple needs and require services from more than one program. DHHS is responsible for many of the regulatory, programmatic, and financial aspects of New Hampshire's health care system, and plays a key role in the planning, delivery and financing of health care for New Hampshire's most vulnerable residents.

New Hampsire Department of Insurance. The New Hampshire Department of Insurance seeks to promote and protect the public good by ensuring the existence of a safe and competitive insurance marketplace through the development and enforcement of the insurance laws of the State of New Hampshire.

New Hampshire Healthy Kids. New Hampshire Healthy Kids is a nonprofit organization working in partnership with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and Northeast Delta Dental to offer low-cost and free health insurance coverage for children who qualify.

New Hampshire Public Television. LiveFIT NH is a new NHPTV community engagement project to encourage healthy eating and physical activity in children and adults.

National Organizations
The following national nonprofit organizations are either directly addressing the issue of access to health care insurance in the United States, or represent concerned and involved stakeholders in the evolving "access to health insurance" discussion in the United States.

Commonwealth Fund. The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that supports independent research on health and social issues and makes grants to improve health care practice and policy. The Fund is dedicated to helping people become more informed about their health care, and improving health care for vulnerable populations such as children, elderly people, low-income families, minority Americans, and the uninsured. The Fund's national and international programs are focused upon improving access to health insurance coverage and improving the quality of health care services.

FrameWorks Institute. FrameWorks Institute designs, commissions, manages, and publishes communications research to prepare nonprofit organizations to expand their constituency base, to build public will, and to further public understanding of specific social issues, including access to affordable health care insurance.

Institute of Medicine. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is a nonprofit organization chartered in 1970 as a component of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). The IOM provides a public service by working outside the framework of government to ensure independent guidance on matters of science and medicine. The IOM provides objective, timely, and authoritative information and advice concerning health and science policy to government, the corporate sector, the professions, and the public.

The IOM is one of the key organizations where elected officials turn for information, including the issue of affordable health insurance.

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) is an independent, national foundation focusing on the major health care issues facing the United States. The KFF is an independent voice and source of facts and analysis for policymakers, the media, the health care community, and the general public.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation [RWJF] is the largest private philanthropic organization devoted exclusively to health and health care in the United States. Grantmaking initiatives and programs include projects that ensure that all United States citizens have access to quality health care at reasonable cost.

Other than the RWJF homepage, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has created comprehensive web sites that specifically address the issue of the uninsured, and are of interest to all HNHfoundation web site visitors concerned about access to affordable health insurance in New Hampshire, and in the United States:

Covering The Uninsured Week 2004. Covering the Uninsured Week 2004 promises to be the largest mobilization effort in history of the United States about the issue of the uninsured. The Week is being planned for May 10-16, 2004.

Covering Kids & Families. Covering Kids & Families is a $55 million dollar initiative to increase the number of children and families who can benefit from existing health care coverage programs, and reduce the number of uninsured children and adults who are eligible for public health care coverage programs, but not enrolled.