WellCare Commits up to $250,000 to the North Carolina Alliance of YMCAs to Support Better Health Outcomes in the State

RALEIGH, N.C. and TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) announced today it has committed up to $250,000 to partner with the North Carolina Alliance of YMCAs (Y-Alliance), a coalition of 26 YMCA Associations, to support their efforts in improving health outcomes across the state.

Through the partnership, WellCare, a leading provider of government-sponsored healthcare programs, will support the YMCA's evidence-based health initiatives and other community-strengthening programs, which focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. These include the YMCA's afterschool programming, summer camp for children with disabilities, the YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program and the "Togetherhood" program, which connects people from all backgrounds to plan and carry out volunteer projects to address needs in their communities, among others.

"North Carolina's YMCAs are grateful to WellCare for its financial commitment and their support to improve health outcomes of all North Carolinians," said Walter Britt, CEO of the Alamance County Community YMCA and the chair of the Y-Alliance. "Through this partnership with WellCare, we are furthering our reach of helping children and families across the state develop habits of healthy living that will serve them well for a lifetime."

"We're proud to partner with the YMCA, which provides innovative programming to help children and families across North Carolina live better, healthier lives," said Gregg MacDonald, WellCare's senior vice president and division president. "The YMCA's programming focuses on the health of the 'whole person' including lifestyles, behaviors and civic engagement, all of which can contribute to better overall health and well-being."

WellCare also plans to open six regional community Welcome Rooms across the state. Welcome Rooms are neighborhood health information, education and enrollment centers open to the public that are staffed by WellCare associates who can answer questions about healthcare in a comfortable, face-to-face environment.

WellCare and the NC Alliance of YMCAs will conduct joint programming to support community health initiatives at the Welcome Rooms. In addition, WellCare will have mobile Welcome Rooms, which will offer pop-up locations around local communities across the state, including those surrounding YMCA locations.

"WellCare is proud to bring our Welcome Rooms, and all of its health-related activities, to North Carolina," said MacDonald. "We're committed to helping our members access needed health information to make informed decisions about their health. We hope our Welcome Rooms will help our members and local communities access the tools and information they need to make the best healthcare decisions for themselves and their families."

Through its partnership with the Y-Alliance, WellCare will include all North Carolina YMCA locations in its Community Connections Help Line database in order to provide North Carolinians with direct access to the YMCA's services and programs. The Community Help Line is a toll-free, nationwide line available to anyone who needs help accessing resources and social services such as food, housing, transportation and more. It operates Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. For assistance, please call 866-775-2192 (main line) or 855-628-7552 (video relay).  

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.

Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, as well as individuals in the Health Insurance Marketplace. WellCare serves approximately 5.5 million members nationwide as of September 1, 2018. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com.

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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.