[July 27, 2015] |
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UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Supports Fight against Food Insecurity in Washington
UnitedHealthcare is supporting Washington's Food Insecurity Nutrition
Incentives (FINI) Project, which aims to enable low-income people
participating in the state's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP) to have easier access to healthy fruits and vegetables.
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Consumers visiting the Everett Farmers Market supported by UnitedHealthcare found a variety of healthy fruits and vegetables available for purchase. (Photo: Kim Doyel)
In April, the USDA awarded $31.5 million in funding to national, local
and state agencies, including the Washington State Department of Health,
to encourage access to healthy foods. UnitedHealthcare Community Plan
contributed $65,000 toward the state's grant. The FINI Project matched
the contribution with $62,951 for a total of $127,951 to help fight food
insecurity in Washington.
The UnitedHealthcare grant will be used to provide in-clinic information
on nutrition, diet and exercise at 35 Federally Qualified Health Centers
(FQHCs) and 58 farmers markets in five Washington counties (King,
Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane and Yakima).Medicaid and SNAP beneficiaries
who meet with a care provider, health coach or nutritionist at the
clinics receive a voucher for a local farmers market where they can
receive a bag of produce and cooking recipes.
"People in low-income households are vulnerable to obesity and food
insecurity due to limited access to healthy foods," said Doug Bowes, CEO
of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. "UnitedHealthcare is honored to
support the federal and state government FINI initiatives by generating
more awareness and access to nutritious foods in the communities we
serve."
For more information and a list of participating clinics and farmers
markets taking place July through October, visit uhccommunityplan.com.
UnitedHealthcare serves more than 1 million people in Washington with a
network of 96 hospitals and more than 32,000 physicians and other care
providers statewide. Additionally, the company employs more than 1,000
people.
About UnitedHealthcare UnitedHealthcare
is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by
simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and
wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care
providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit
programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees
and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and
contracts directly with more than 850,000 physicians and care
professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide.
UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:
UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more
information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com
or follow @myUHC on Twitter (News - Alert).
[i] Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status
Report 2014, Food Research and Action Center [ii] 2015
America's Health Rankings Senior Report
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View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150727006350/en/
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