WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) today announced that the WellCare Community Foundation is donating $10,000 to the American Red Cross to support flood relief efforts in Louisiana. WellCare will also match employee contributions to the Red Cross up to $5,000.
In addition, WellCare has extended the hours of its Community Assistance Line (CAL) to help connect those impacted with needed social services. WellCare has a referral database with more than 4,500 Louisiana-based community organizations and 50 community-based programs that are available to help with needs including food, transportation, shelter, and other support services. The new extended CAL hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EDT Monday-Friday.
"WellCare is committed to supporting organizations like the Red Cross that can mobilize quickly and get people the support and services they require," said Kelly Munson, president of the WellCare Community Foundation and WellCare's senior vice president, division president and Medicaid product. "There is a great need to help those in Louisiana, both in terms of assisting with recovery efforts now and in continued support to help communities rebuild."
"Like so many, WellCare's Baton Rouge employees were impacted by the flooding, including 11 employees who were displaced from their homes," said Anthony Valdés, WellCare's vice president of market performance. "WellCare is dedicated to providing support during this devastating time for our members, employees and the broader communities we serve as part of our overall mission to help people live better, healthier lives."
This is the second time in five months that torrential rains have hit Louisiana, causing record flooding and prompting a federal disaster declaration in 20 parishes. An estimated 40,000 homes were damaged, affecting at least 75,000 people, according to the Red Cross. Continued flooding and closed roads have made it challenging to get relief supplies to people in need.
The Red Cross has more than 1,000 disaster volunteers on the ground and 36 shelters. The Red Cross is also mobilizing over 50 disaster response vehicles, nearly 40,000 ready-to-eat meals and dozens of trailers filled with shelter and kitchen supplies.
"We are so grateful for this gift from WellCare," said Linda Jorge Carbone, regional chief executive officer for Red Cross of Central Florida. "It is only because of the great support from corporate partners like WellCare and gifts from the American people that we can provide our important services to those impacted by devastating disasters."
For more information about relief efforts or to make a donation to the Red Cross, visit redcross.org.
To contact WellCare's CAL for social services assistance, call 866-775-2192 (main line) or 855-628-7552 (video relay).
As of June 30, 2016, WellCare serves approximately 10,000 Medicare Advantage members and 25,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members in Louisiana.
About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. The company serves approximately 3.8 million members nationwide as of June 30, 2016. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos athttps://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.
About the WellCare Community Foundation
The WellCare Community Foundation was established in 2010 and is a nonprofit, private foundation. Its mission is to foster and promote the health, well-being and quality of life for the poor, distressed and other medically under-served populations – including those who are elderly, young and indigent – and the communities in which they live. The WellCare Community Foundation carries out this mission by supporting work that helps people live healthy, safe and productive lives, and by assisting groups with serious and neglected health needs. Underscoring this mission is the WellCare Community Foundation's goal to serve as a national resource that fosters an environment where there is a continuum of education, access and quality health care, all of which improve the overall health, well-being and quality of life of targeted beneficiaries.
