Tufts Health Plan Foundation Commits $1 Million to Address COVID-19

PR Newswire

WATERTOWN, Mass., March 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tufts Health Plan Foundation announced today it is making an additional $1 million available to efforts driven by community and to nonprofit organizations supporting older people affected by the coronavirus outbreak in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Connecticut.

Tufts Health Plan Foundation will continue to support healthy aging by funding organizations assisting with access to food, at-home support, housing, transportation, medical supplies and other services, especially for older people and those most vulnerable. Those with underlying health conditions and people over 60 have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. It is especially important to ensure resources are available to provide these supports and services.

"We are grateful to the local, state and federal public health agencies, first responders, and the many community organizations who are stepping up to respond to this challenge," said Tom Croswell, president and CEO of Tufts Health Plan. "We hope this funding will provide local organizations flexibility in their operations to respond to pressing and emerging needs in the communities they support."

The Foundation will work with leaders from community, government and other key stakeholders across the region to coordinate distribution of the funding. Funds will go to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Connecticut organizations working to address the current crisis. Efforts must demonstrate coordination, collaboration and focus on addressing disparities.

"Philanthropy makes a difference in this time of uncertainty. By increasing the resources available to communities, we all can improve response and recovery capacity," said Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Commonwealth's COVID-19 command center lead, Marylou Sudders. "It is important to have broad support from all sectors as we manage our response, and Tufts Health Plan Foundation is demonstrating leadership by providing flexible funding to help some of our most vulnerable residents during this unprecedented outbreak."

Tufts Health Plan Foundation also will provide current grantees the flexibility to adjust their budgets to support new work related to COVID-19. In addition, donations made by Tufts Health Plan employees to nonprofit organizations responding to COVID-19 are eligible for a two-for-one match, effectively tripling their donations. This double match will allow employees to give to where they see the biggest needs in their communities.

"We're grateful to our board for their swift action," said Nora Moreno Cargie, president of Tufts Health Plan Foundation and vice president for corporate citizenship at Tufts Health Plan. "It's our responsibility to listen to community, to be nimble, relevant and responsive."

About Tufts Health Plan Foundation
Established in 2008, Tufts Health Plan Foundation supports the health and wellness of the diverse communities we serve. The Foundation has given more than $38 million to Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island nonprofits that promote healthy living with an emphasis on older people and will give more than $5 million to community organizations this year. The Foundation began funding in New Hampshire in 2016 and in Connecticut in 2019. Tufts Health Plan Foundation funds programs that move communities toward implementing age-friendly policies and practices that are relevant, focus on older people, and include them in community solutions. Visit www.tuftshealthplanfoundation.org for grant program information and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

About Tufts Health Plan
Tufts Health Plan is nationally recognized for its commitment to providing innovative, high-quality health care coverage. Staying true to our mission of improving the health and wellness of the diverse communities we serve, we touch the lives of more than 1.16 million members in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Connecticut through employer-sponsored plans; Medicare; Medicaid and Marketplace plans, offering health insurance coverage across the life span regardless of age or circumstance. We are continually among the top health plans in the country based on quality and member satisfaction. Our Tufts Medicare Preferred HMO and Senior Care Options plans received a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the highest rating possible.* Our commercial HMO/POS and Massachusetts PPO plans are rated 5 out of 5 – the highest rating possible – by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).** Our Medicaid plan is rated 4.5 out of a possible 5.***

To learn more about how we're redefining what a health plan can do, visit www.tuftshealthplan.com/whatwedo. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

*Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-Star rating system. Star Ratings are calculated each year and may change from one year to the next. For more information on plan ratings, go to www.medicare.gov. Tufts Medicare Preferred HMO plans received 5 out of 5 stars for contract years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.
**NCQA's Private Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2019–2020
***NCQA's Medicaid Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2019-2020.

CONTACT
Alrie McNiff Daniels617-301-2715
Alrie_Daniels@tufts-health.com

Kathleen Makela617-480-9590
Kathleen_Makela@tufts-health.com