Medica Makes $500,000 in Contributions to Organizations that Address Social Determinants of Health in Nebraska

Medica has provided $500,000 in funding to support Nebraska organizations throughout the state that address social issues that impact the health of people with low incomes. The funding is in addition to the approximately $2 million in support provided by Medica for Nebraska nonprofit health organizations since 2018.

The funding falls into six categories:

• Child/Maternal Health
• Education/Workforce Development
• Health Equity
• Foster Youth
• Health & Housing
• Tribal Organizations

“Medica made a commitment to be a part of the Nebraska community when we began making health coverage available in the state in 2016,” said Patrick Bourne, vice president and market leader for Nebraska. “That commitment runs deep and it includes all Nebraskans. Our contributions will address underlying causes that impact health and make health care more accessible to people who need it most.”

Some examples of organizations receiving Medica’s support include:

• Healthy Housing Omaha, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the health and safety of children and families by improving homes in the Omaha community. Its programs include AIR, which provides free supplies and case management for families aimed at reducing asthma triggers in the home; CHEER, a no-cost construction program for families at our below 80 percent of the area median income who have health and safety hazards in their home; GLEE, which provides community events and trainings focused on indoor environmental issues, indoor air quality, toxic chemical safety and healthy housing. "Without generous giving from organizations like Medica, Project AIR would not be able to continue providing critical supplies and education to reduce asthma triggers in homes of children,” said Kiernan Scott, Executive Director of Healthy Housing Omaha. “The many families Project AIR serves are the most at risk for housing instability, high unexpected medical costs, and missed school and work days. In partnership with Medica, Healthy Housing Omaha is able to work towards our vision of a healthy home for every child."
• Santee Health & Wellness Center, a tribal organization that operates the Little Moccasin Program. The program incorporates cultural traditions into community outreach efforts focused on prenatal and postpartum education to support young families. Parents gain knowledge and skills to promote healthy development and positive lifestyles for themselves and their children. "Little Moccasins is very thankful for the Medica funding; these funds will impact 68 postpartum clients and 20 prenatal clients,” said Jodi Henry, Little Moccasins Director at Santee Health Center. “Infant car seats will be purchased along with other necessities such as diapers and breastfeeding supplies."
• Latino Center of the Midlands. A community center where everyone is welcome. For the past 50 years, the Latino Center of the Midlands has been dedicated to building a stronger, more engaged Latino Community in Omaha, Nebraska. It strengthens Omaha’s bilingual and Latino community through its programs Workforce Education and Innovation; Pathways to Success; and Family and Community Well-Being. Through these programs members of the community are provided with the tools necessary to live a healthy, self-sufficient, and fulfilling life.

The full list of organizations that received the funding is included at the end of the news release.

Medica Grants

In addition to the $500,000 in contributions in 2022, Medica has provided around $2 million in grants to local nonprofits including OneWorld Community Health Center, Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, Project Harmony, HopeSpoke, and Region 3 Behavioral Health Services, since 2018.

About Medica in Nebraska

Medica health insurance covers about 130,000 lives in Nebraska. Its full-service Omaha office comprises employees who are all natives of the state and are very active in their communities. They work in community advocacy, sales, client services, information technology and network management.

About Medica

Medica (www.medica.com) is a nonprofit health plan headquartered in Minnesota. The company serves communities by providing health care coverage and related services in the employer, individual, Medicaid and Medicare markets. It operates in Minnesota, Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Medica’s vision is to be trusted in the community for our unwavering commitment to high quality, affordable health care.

Organizations Receiving Financial Contributions from Medica in 2022.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220818005533/en/