Magnolia Health Supports Community Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic

JACKSON, Miss., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, people across Mississippi are facing challenges that extend beyond medical care and include basic daily needs such as food, internet connectivity, and essential supplies. Centene, a leading multi-national healthcare company, has partnered with various organizations to support efforts that address these social determinants of health. Magnolia Health as part of the Centene family, will be deploying these programs locally in Mississippi.

Social determinants of health are non-medical barriers to achieving quality health outcomes. They include socioeconomic and environment factors such as food accessibility, employment, education, and more. Research shows that medical care accounts for approximately 10 to 20 percent of health outcomes, while the other 80 to 90 percent is affected by the social determinants of health.

"The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are far-reaching and have extended beyond medical care to affect people's access to food, employment, connectivity, and more," said Aaron Sisk, CEO and president of Magnolia Health. "These social determinants of health have a significant impact on people's overall wellbeing, especially among vulnerable populations. Magnolia Health wants to help ensure we're supporting the additional needs of communities during this challenging time."

Hunger and Food Security
The demand on food banks has significantly increased during this pandemic, and it's estimated that these organizations will need an additional $1.4 billion in funding during the next six months to provide food assistance to people facing hunger. In partnership with the national hunger relief non-profit Feeding America and its local branch, Mississippi Food Network, Centene and Magnolia Health will coordinate the donation of meals to feed our neighbors in 56 counties across Mississippi.

As part of its effort to address hunger and food security, Magnolia Health has also partnered with more than 10 food assistance organizations to provide additional food supplies directly to their communities.

Connectivity
During this time of social distancing, telehealth and other virtual communications tools have become invaluable for providing access to care. In collaboration with FirstNet®, built with AT&T – the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built for America's first responders and the extended public safety community – Magnolia Health and Centene are helping make FirstNet more accessible to healthcare providers. Magnolia Health will be extending grants to assist providers with the upfront investment costs of new devices and equipment. This will streamline access to affordable, high-speed wireless broadband services for primary care providers in rural and underserved communities. Mississippi is one of the pilot states of this collaboration, where Magnolia Health will support Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers and independent practices. The program will expand into additional states over the next few months.

Healthcare and Educational Supplies
To ensure community members have access to crucial supplies during this time of need, Magnolia Health, in coordination with Centene, will be purchasing 750 gift cards for use on essential items. Magnolia Health will deliver the cards to local providers and other community resources such as Federally Qualified Health Centers, community health clinics, foster care organizations, and more for distribution to individuals in need. The gift cards will have a value of $35 and can be used to purchase essential healthcare and educational items, including diapers, over-the-counter medicines, cleaning supplies, and books.

Magnolia Health has been supporting Mississippi residents since 2011 across Medicaid, Medicare, and its Marketplace product, Ambetter from Magnolia Health. Their efforts to address the social determinants of health reinforce their long-standing commitment to supporting the whole health of their communities, one person at a time.

FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks of the First Responder Network Authority.  All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

About Magnolia Health
Magnolia Health is a long-term solution to help the state of Mississippi enhance care for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) recipients, while most effectively managing taxpayer dollars. A physician-driven, Mississippi-based Coordinated Care Organization (CCO), Magnolia is backed by its parent company, Centene Corporation (Centene). Centene has more than 30 years of experience in Medicaid, CHIP and other government-funded programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and long-term care. For more information about Magnolia, visit www.magnoliahealthplan.com.

About Centene Corporation
Centene Corporation, a Fortune 100 company, is a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. The Company takes a local approach – with local brands and local teams - to provide fully integrated, high-quality, and cost-effective services to government-sponsored and commercial healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Centene offers affordable and high-quality products to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation, including Medicaid and Medicare members (including Medicare Prescription Drug Plans) as well as individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace, the TRICARE program, and individuals in correctional facilities. The Company also serves several international markets, and contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide a variety of specialty services focused on treating the whole person. Centene focuses on long-term growth and the development of its people, systems and capabilities so that it can better serve its members, providers, local communities, and government partners.

Centene uses its investor relations website to publish important information about the company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Centene is routinely posted and is accessible on Centene's investor relations website, http://www.centene.com/investors.

SOURCE Magnolia Health

Related Links

http://www.magnoliahealthplan.com