Sunflower Supports Community Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Date: 05/20/20

Partnerships and programs address the social determinants of health across Kansas

During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, people across Kansas are facing challenges that extend beyond medical care and include basic daily needs such as food, internet connectivity, and essential supplies. Centene, a leading multi-national healthcare company, has partnered with various organizations to support efforts that address these social determinants of health. Sunflower Health Plan, as part of the Centene family, will be deploying these programs locally in Kansas.

Social determinants of health are non-medical barriers to achieving quality health outcomes. They include socioeconomic and environmental factors, such as food accessibility, employment, education, and more. Research shows that medical care accounts for approximately 10 to 20 percent of health outcomes, while the other 80 to 90 percent is affected by the social determinants of health.

“The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are far-reaching and have extended beyond medical care to affect people’s access to food, employment, connectivity and more,” said Nan Perrin, PhD, Sunflower’s senior director of social determinants of health. “These social determinants of health have a significant impact on people’s overall wellbeing, especially among vulnerable populations. Sunflower Health Plan wants to help ensure we’re supporting the additional needs of communities during this challenging time.”

Hunger and Food Security

The demand on food banks has significantly increased during this pandemic, and it’s estimated that these organizations will need an additional $1.4 billion in funding during the next six months to provide food assistance to people facing hunger.

As part of its effort to address hunger and food security, Sunflower has partnered with agencies across Kansas to provide food for those who are struggling. Sunflower is supporting this effort through initiatives, which include:

• Providing 250 shelf-stable food boxes and funding through a partnership with Harvesters in the 16-county area of Kansas they serve
• Funding the efforts of 24 food banks and other organizations throughout Kansas
• Identifying employees interested in opportunities to volunteer at local food banks

Connectivity

During this time of social distancing, telehealth and other virtual communications tools have become invaluable for providing access to care. In collaboration with FirstNet®, built with AT&T – the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built for America’s first responders and the extended public safety community – Sunflower Health Plan and Centene are helping make FirstNet more accessible to providers. Sunflower will also be extending grants to assist providers with the upfront investment costs of new devices and equipment. This will streamline access to affordable, high-speed wireless broadband services for primary care providers in rural and underserved communities. Kansas is one of the pilot states of this collaboration, where Sunflower will support Federally Qualified Health Centers and independent practices. The program will expand into additional states over the next few months.

Healthcare and Educational Supplies

To ensure community members have access to crucial supplies during this time of need, Centene will be purchasing 500 gift cards for use on essential items. Sunflower Health Plan will deliver the cards to local providers and other community resources, such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Wesley House, and Wyandotte County nonprofit Made Men, for distribution to individuals in need. The gift cards will have a value of $35 and can be used to purchase essential healthcare and educational items, including diapers, over-the-counter medicines, cleaning supplies, and books.

Sunflower is providing additional resources through partnerships with local Area Agencies on Aging, Centers for Independent Living and other providers. These groups are working to provide personal protection equipment for vulnerable Kansans and their caregivers. This week Sunflower and its partners began distributing more than 450,000 facemasks to members and their providers.

Sunflower has been supporting Kansas residents since 2013 and today offers Medicaid, Medicare and Marketplace plans. These efforts to address the social determinants of health reinforce their long-standing commitment to supporting the whole health of their communities, one person at a time.

 

About Sunflower Health Plan – Sunflower Health Plan, a subsidiary of Centene Corporation, is a managed care organization established to deliver quality healthcare in the state of Kansas through local, regional and community-based resources. Sunflower is committed to improving the health of its beneficiaries through focused, compassionate and coordinated care in an approach based on the core belief that quality healthcare is best delivered locally. For more information, please visit www.sunflowerhealthplan.com.

About Centene Corporation
Centene Corporation, a Fortune 100 company, is a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. The Company takes a local approach – with local brands and local teams - to provide fully integrated, high-quality, and cost-effective services to government-sponsored and commercial healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Centene offers affordable and high-quality products to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation, including Medicaid and Medicare members (including Medicare Prescription Drug Plans) as well as individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace, the TRICARE program, and individuals in correctional facilities. The Company also serves several international markets, and contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide a variety of specialty services focused on treating the whole person. Centene focuses on long-term growth and the development of its people, systems and capabilities so that it can better serve its members, providers, local communities, and government partners.

Centene uses its investor relations website to publish important information about the company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Centene is routinely posted and is accessible on Centene's investor relations website, www.centene.com/investors.