Health Plan of Nevada Donates $1 Million to Nonprofits in Nevada

Funding is part of UnitedHealthcare’s $11.4 million in Empowering Health grants focused on expanding access to care and addressing the social determinants of health for people in underserved communities

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Health Plan of Nevada (HPN), a UnitedHealthcare company and part of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), is awarding $1 million in Empowering Health grants to six community-based organizations in Nevada to expand access to care and address the social determinants of health for uninsured individuals and underserved communities.

In total, UnitedHealthcare, HPN’s parent company, is donating $11.4 million through Empowering Health grants across 18 states and the District of Columbia. The grants will assist individuals and families experiencing challenges from food insecurity, social isolation and behavioral health issues, and support local health promotion and health literacy efforts.

Grant recipients in Nevada include:

• The Just One Project – $300,000 to expand the Community Family Market, giving low-wealth families in Las Vegas access to healthy food and providing wraparound services through case management, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program application assistance, transportation resources, health care referrals and financial education.
• Food Bank of Northern Nevada – $205,000 to expand the Prescription Pantry Program to Carson City and Elko, Lyon and Mineral counties, providing food insecure individuals with chronic conditions access to healthier foods tailored to their specific needs through partnerships with hospitals and clinics.
• Immunize Nevada – $175,000 to help increase childhood immunization rates and reduce significant disparities by hiring a vaccine equity manager, conducting a study to identify immunization gaps, and providing immunization education and no-cost immunization clinics in communities with identified gaps.
• United Citizens Foundation – $150,000 to support access to holistic and patient-centered behavioral and mental health care for Clark County School District students and families who are uninsured, undocumented or otherwise do not meet funding source guidelines.
• Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada – $150,000 to support access to integrated health care, including behavioral health and social services, for the uninsured population in Las Vegas.
• Living Grace Homes – $20,000 for health education programming for homeless, pregnant and parenting young women.

“Social and economic factors have a profound impact on achieving and maintaining good health,” said Kelly Simonson, president, Health Plan of Nevada’s Medicaid plan. “Through Empowering Health grants, we’re working with local organizations to provide Nevadans with greater access to essential resources in high-risk and high-need communities so they can live healthier lives.”

Good health encompasses more than simply visiting a doctor’s office. According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, nearly 80% of what influences a person’s health relates to nonmedical issues, such as food, housing, transportation and the financial means to pay for basic daily needs. And for so many, the global pandemic has caused additional social and economic challenges that continue to affect healthy behaviors and exacerbate health disparities.

Since launching its Empowering Health commitment in 2018, UnitedHealthcare has now invested more than $40 million in Empowering Health grants reaching more than 6 million people through partnerships with community-based organizations in 29 states.

UnitedHealth Group, including UnitedHealthcare and Optum, and its affiliated companies, is committed to reducing health disparities and building healthier communities by supporting programs to improve access to care and address key determinants of health. Other recent investments include a $2.6 million, three-year partnership with Touro University Nevada to improve maternal health in southern Nevada.

Additionally, UnitedHealth Group has invested more than $500 million in affordable housing communities since 2011, partnered with food banks and meal-delivery services, and in 2019 joined with the American Medical Association to standardize how social determinants of health data is collected and used to create more holistic care plans.

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1.3 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated health care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter.