Health Net Awards $1.5 Million to Help Close Insurance Gap, Improve Quality of Care and Enhance Health Outcomes

10 recipients are in Northern California, the Central Valley and Los Angeles

Grants and investments are core components of company’s efforts to transform the health of the communities it serves, one person at a time

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Health Net, Inc. (“Health Net”), one of California’s largest health insurance companies, is awarding a combined $1.5 million to 10 health care and community-based organizations across the state to help close the insurance gap, improve the quality and availability of health care and enhance health outcomes in medically underserved communities.

These grants are supported by Health Net’s Community and Infrastructure Investment Program, created as a result of the Undertakings agreed to by Health Net and the California Department of Managed Health Care as a condition of the department’s approval of the merger between Centene Corporation and Health Net, Inc.

“Increasing the number of insured individuals is an important part of our efforts to transform the health of the communities we serve,” said Steve Sell, president of Health Net of California, Inc. “We are partnering with key health care providers to help them expand their services and capacity for serving patients. By supporting these organizations, we are helping Californians be well and stay well.”

The organizations receiving the grants support a wide range of programs and initiatives that directly address many of the unmet needs of the state’s most underserved communities. Investments in these organizations, through Health Net’s Community & Infrastructure Investment Program, are intended to grow coverage in health insurance programs and help individuals find the care they need.

“Many of the recipients are committed to providing culturally relevant programs, education and services focused on medical, dental and behavioral health care to underserved populations,” said Carol Kim, vice president of Community Investments & Public Affairs for Health Net. “And they are committed to expanding outreach efforts to help individuals enroll and retain Medi-Cal and Covered California coverage and navigate the health care system.”

The Recipients

Northern California

• Ampla Health: $150,000 to facilitate access to healthcare, educate consumers about the importance of good health and help families enroll in and renew their Medi-Cal and Covered California coverage.
• Sacramento Covered: $150,000 to develop, integrate and implement Medi-Cal and Covered California retention tools, protocols and strategies.

Central Valley

• Centro La Familia Advocacy Services: $100,000 to support the Aseguré Su Bienstar (Secure Your Wellbeing) program, which helps increase awareness of the benefits and requirements of Medi-Cal enrollment through education and outreach activities at health fairs, community forums and workshops.
• Community Health Initiative of Kern County: $100,000 to increase enrollment and retention in the Medi-Cal program as part of the “Good Health Starts at Your Medical Home” program that serves largely agricultural communities.

Los Angeles

• East Valley Community Health Center: $100,000 to educate individuals on their health plan benefits and how to access healthcare, and to increase access to social service resources.
• Institute for High Quality Care: $500,000 to support safety net healthcare providers statewide by increasing their capacity to apply quality improvement tools and techniques to positively affect their required performance and quality measures, including HEDIS. And to design a program to increase the number of Medi-Cal providers engaging in, and sustaining, quality improvement efforts.
• Maternal & Child Health Access: $100,000 to implement enrollment and retention strategies, primarily for Medi-Cal, and advocate on behalf of Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
• Northeast Valley Health Corporation: $100,000 to implement Medi-Cal and Covered California enrollment and retention strategies and provide education on navigating the healthcare system.
• Southside Coalition of Community Health Centers: $100,000 to educate local residents about enrolling in health coverage for low-income and undocumented adults and children, and provide care-coordination when patients are admitted to or treated in the emergency department at California Hospital Medical Center.
• The Children’s Clinic: $100,000 to increase enrollment and retention, primarily in Medi-Cal, through enhanced in-reach and outreach activities to help improve re-enrollment rates.

About Health Net

Health Net, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), provides and administers health benefits through group, individual, Medicare (including the Medicare prescription drug benefit commonly referred to as “Part D”), Medicaid and dual eligible programs. Health Net also offers access to behavioral health, substance abuse and employee assistance programs, and managed health care products related to prescription drugs. For more information on Health Net, please visit the company’s website at www.healthnet.com.

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Health Net, Inc.

Brad Kieffer, (818) 676-6833

[email protected]

Source: Health Net, Inc.