PA Health & Wellness and the Centene Foundation Announce Partnership with Habitat for Humanity

PA Health & Wellness Safe & Sound Program to provide assistance with critical home repairs in Greater Harrisburg area

HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PA Health & Wellness (PHW), a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), and Centene Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Centene Corporation, today announced its new partnership with Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area to provide critical home repairs to area homeowners as part of the organization's Critical Home Repair program. The new program – PHW Safe & Sound – will cover the cost of eligible interior and exterior structural, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and other critical home repairs so that eligible participants can remain in their homes. The program will focus on Dauphin County as well as Camp Hill, Wormleysburg and Lemoyne boroughs.

"Low-income homeowners can often face significant challenges with home repairs and improvements, said, Habit for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area Executive Director, Serina Gaston. "Low-income homeowners can often face significant challenges with home repairs and improvements," said, Habit for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area Executive Director, Serina Gaston. "With limited financial resources, it's often difficult for these homeowners to invest in maintenance, equipment and the most basic home improvements."

As part of the Community HealthChoices managed care program, PA Health & Wellness supports home and community-based services for older Pennsylvanians and people with disabilities. Nearly 75,000 participants across the state are eligible for home modifications that improve home safety and help keep them in their homes as long as possible and support greater independence.

"Too often, when our health plan assesses a home prior to approving a modification, a safety or structural issue is identified that can prevent the work being done until corrected," said PA Health & Wellness Plan President and CEO, Justin Davis. "We know that by addressing the critical link between healthcare and factors like housing, we can foster a healthier community. We hope that with the PHW Safe & Sound Program, we can overcome those issues and help people stay at home."

Through the partnership with Habitat for Humanity and its Critical Home Repair Program, PA Health & Wellness now has a solution for needed reparation of roofs, windows, porches, railings, plumbing, and electrical components, thereby increasing safety, accessibility, condition, and livability of the home.

Habitat for Humanity Critical Home Repair Program
The Habitat for Humanity Critical Home Repair Program partners with homeowners to complete affordable interior and exterior home repairs and modifications that increase the safety, accessibility, condition and livability of the home.

The Critical Home Repair program is designed to help keep low-income families in their existing home by making home repairs for which there is a need. The program addresses five key areas including safety, security, accessibility, Code violations, and energy efficiency.

To qualify, applicants must own and live in a home in Dauphin County, Camp Hill, Wormleysburg, or Lemoyne that needs repair. They must also meet certain income guidelines and other program requirements.

For more information or to apply contact Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area at [email protected] or by calling (717) 545-7299.

Community HealthChoices Home Modifications
To qualify for home modifications under the Community HealthChoices program, homeowners must first demonstrate that the home is structurally sound, and that any adaptation does not present a safety concern based on applicable state and local building codes. Often, things like poor wiring, plumbing issues or mold in the walls present that structural or safety concern.

In these cases, the health plan is forced to deny the modification until the necessary repairs can be made by the homeowner. This can be cost prohibitive for the homeowner or becomes stalled or denied due to the inability of the homeowner to satisfy the infrastructure repair requirements.

Participants must meet Community HealthChoices age and/or disability related requirements to be eligible for home modifications. Interested participants can contact PA Heath & Wellness directly at 844-626-6813 or by reaching out to their Service Coordinator for more information.

About the Centene Foundation
The Centene Foundation (the "Foundation"), a private nonprofit focused on investing in economically challenged communities, is the philanthropic arm of Centene Corporation ("Centene"). The Foundation supports projects and initiatives strategically aligned with Centene's mission-driven culture and enhances the work Centene is doing to remove the barriers to wellness underserved and low-income populations face. The Foundation is committed to addressing social determinants of health and improving health equity in three distinct areas of focus: healthcare access, social services and education. To learn more, visit the Centene Foundation's website.

About PA Health & Wellness
PA Health & Wellness is a local health insurance provider that is committed to improving the health of the Pennsylvania residents, one person at a time, through access to healthcare coverage. Established to deliver quality healthcare in the state of Pennsylvania through local, regional and community-based resources, PA Health & Wellness is a Managed Care Organization and subsidiary of Centene Corporation (Centene). PA Health & Wellness exists to improve the health of its beneficiaries through focused, compassionate and coordinated care. For more information, visit PAHealthWellness.com for more information.

About Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area is a local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. Habitat is an ecumenical housing ministry with the goal of eliminating poverty housing. Unwilling to accept the fact that thousands of families live without adequate shelter, Habitat challenges and invites individuals, religious organizations of all faiths, companies, foundations, and other organizations to join with us to improve the living conditions of people existing in inadequate housing. In order to do that, Habitat creates a joint venture in which those who benefit from the housing contribute their labor in the form of 350 "sweat equity hours" to the successful completion of the home. For more information, visit the Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area.