Centene's California-based subsidiary Health Net was recently recognized by the Institute for Medicaid Innovation for its work to reduce health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The nonprofit institute highlighted Health Net's work to establish and expand telehealth services for California Medicaid enrollees, according to a June 30 news release from the payer. Health Net awarded 138 telehealth capacity-building grants, totaling $13.4 million, to Medicaid providers across the state.
The Medicaid and Medicare health plan provider also funded the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital Street Medicine program, according to the news release. The program is a collaboration between the hospital and the USC Keck School of Medicine that engages experts to help reduce disparities in health outcomes among homeless people in south Los Angeles.
The payer also awarded a grant to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank for a program that provided home-delivered groceries and an interactive, educational webinar series on nutrition and its role in managing chronic illness.
Health Net also provided funding for Family Hui parental, peer-led support groups in Imperial, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Bernardino and San Joaquin counties, according to the news release. The program aims to promote healthy child development and offers a trauma-informed parenting curriculum.
"The pandemic meant we needed to rapidly pivot how we do our work to continue meeting the needs of our members," Health Net Chief Equity Officer Pooja Mittal, DO, said in the news release. "We are proud of the work our teams have done to help members stay connected to care and services, whether through telehealth or community outreach. We will continue these efforts for years to come."