Posted on 2022-02-14

Updated on 2022-02-14 09:00:00

Investments benefit local community organizations as part of national health equity strategy

Baltimore, Md./Washington, D.C – Today, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst), a not-for-profit and the largest healthcare company in the mid-Atlantic region, announced a grant investment of $1.76 million to combat the diabetes epidemic. The funds were distributed across 27 local health improvement coalitions, health councils and collaboratives working to address the upstream social determinants of health (SDOH), or social and environmental factors, impacting the severity or likelihood of developing diabetes. These investments build on CareFirst’s ongoing commitment to address chronic conditions as part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s (BCBSA) National Health Equity Strategy. This round of investments is Phase I of CareFirst’s $10.5 million commitment to addressing diabetes announced last year.

“As a community champion, we’re focused on addressing the social determinants of health negatively impacting the health outcomes of the people we serve,” said Brian D. Pieninck, President and CEO of CareFirst. “Inequities in economic and environmental conditions have a negative impact on the health and behavioral outcomes associated with diabetes prevention and control. To take a whole health approach to improve the lives of those we serve and the communities they call home, we must work side-by-side with local partners to improve the factors that contribute to the development of diseases like diabetes and the impact they have on health outcomes and quality of life.”

In 2020, CareFirst worked with Socially Determined, a D.C.-based healthcare analytics firm to analyze social risk factors and identify pilot communities whose residents would benefit from interventions that prevent or treat diabetes through Phase 1 grant funding. Review of this health data within CareFirst’s service area revealed that SDOH, such as food and nutrition security, housing stability, health literacy and other factors, have a significant impact on the likelihood of developing diabetes or prediabetes, with African American and Hispanic populations disproportionately affected by the disease. Organizations in the identified pilot communities were invited to submit a proposal for grant funding including Baltimore City, Prince George’s County and Washington, D.C. (Wards 7 and 8). In addition, organizations outside of these pilot communities in Western Maryland, Northern Virginia, Southern Maryland, Central Maryland, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland were invited to submit proposals for their work addressing diabetes in CareFirst’s service area beyond those identified for the pilot.

“CareFirst’s investments in local health departments and community health improvement coalitions position the social determinants of health as essential intervention targets to decrease the severity of diabetes or prediabetes and reduce the health and economic toll of this preventable illness,” said Destiny-Simone Ramjohn, Vice President of Community Health and Social Impact for CareFirst. “We intend to share data and resources and to be a deeply involved leader, bolstering the great work these organizations are already doing to enhance wealth and wellbeing in the communities we serve.”

During this first round of funding, CareFirst prioritized grassroots organizations and local health coalitions promoting economic inclusion, educational opportunity, behavioral health, chronic conditions, and accessible, affordable, high-quality care, to address root causes of health disparities and diabetes in historically marginalized communities. These financial investments will strengthen organizational capacity, partnerships between communities and health systems, and support innovative interventions to address the existing work being done by local community health partners.

“In Maryland alone, the adult prevalence of diagnosed diabetes is highest in Non-Hispanic Blacks (13%),” said Dr. Tich Changamire, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for CareFirst. “Racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to access preventive health services and often receive lower-quality care. By partnering with the BCBSA, CareFirst is working collectively with other Blue Plans to address healthcare disparities across the entire United States, not just in our service area.”

CareFirst remains committed to addressing chronic conditions, quality, affordability, and equity in care for our members and their communities. More information about later phases of CareFirst’s Diabetes Initiative will be communicated on CareFirst’s Community website prior to its launch. For questions, please contact community@carefirst.com.

About CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

In its 84th year of service, CareFirst, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit healthcare company which, through its affiliates and subsidiaries, offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products and administrative services to 3.5 million individuals and employers in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. In 2020, CareFirst invested $27.8 million to improve overall health, and increase the accessibility, affordability, safety and quality of healthcare throughout its market areas. To learn more about CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, visit our website at www.carefirst.com and our transforming healthcare page at www.carefirst.com/transformation, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram.