Skip to Main Content
Stay Connected on the Go! Download our Health Insurance Portal mobile app to search for care, view benefits and access your Member ID card. LEARN MORE AND DOWNLOAD THE APP
Stay Connected on the Go! Download our Health Insurance Portal mobile app to search for care, view benefits and access your Member ID card. LEARN MORE AND DOWNLOAD THE APP

Sunshine Health Continues COVID-19 Response Efforts to Assist Floridians in Need

Date: 09/16/20

Sunrise, Florida

As some Floridians struggle with essential resources due to the coronavirus, Sunshine Health and its parent company, Centene Corporation, continue to invest in community partnerships to get assistance to those who need it most.

“The hardships individuals and families are facing due to the public health crisis are not going to go away as cases decrease – people continue to need food, school supplies, technology assistance and other support,” said Liz Miller, CEO of Centene’s Combined Florida Market. “That’s why we continue to prioritize our work with community partners who are on the frontlines helping people every day.”

Here are some additional ways Sunshine Health and Centene are supporting our communities, members and providers during this difficult time.

Community Assistance

Education and Healthcare

Families in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods face a new set of challenges as children return to school – virtually or in person. Sunshine Health support included:

  • Sunshine Health Orange Bowl Family Fit & Fun Day: Sunshine Health was the title sponsor of this annual event, which was converted to a drive-through community relief effort this year. We provided school supplies and Personal Protective Equipment for hundreds of students in Fort Lauderdale. Sunshine Health provided thousands of pencil case holders, pencil sharpeners, rulers, pencils and face masks.
  • 2021 College Football Playoff Miami Host Committee Back to School Event: Ambetter from Sunshine Health sponsored and contributed thousands of supplies to this drive-through community relief event at Miami’s Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex. More than 750 families were served.
  • Summer Boredom Buster Bags to the City of Hialeah: Ambetter from Sunshine Health donated 300 Summer Boredom Buster bags to the Parks and Recreation Department. Bags included sidewalk chalk, beach balls, bubbles and jump ropes.
  • Face Masks Distributed: Sunshine Health provided more than 22,000 adult and child masks to members, providers and community organizations.
  • New Town Success Zone Back to School Giveaway: Sunshine Health donated hundreds of school supplies to 300 students and 150 families in Jacksonville.  

Senior Support

  • Community Connections Help Line Increases Referrals for Seniors: Community Connections Help Line, a toll-free, nationwide line available to anyone in need, has seen increased demand for resources among seniors. From March 1 through Aug. 31, food assistance was the No. 1 most requested service, with 733 referrals. Medication assistance was the second most requested service with 524 referrals, followed by transportation with 368.

Member and Provider Assistance

Hunger and Food Security

Free Shipt Membership: WellCare partnered with Shipt, a same-day delivery service, to provide Medicare members in Florida free monthly memberships to safely and conveniently access groceries and everyday essentials for the rest of 2020.

Connectivity

A lack of connectivity during the COVID-19 crisis has posed challenges for healthcare providers and patients. Ways we are helping:

  • HAPPY Helps With Social Isolation and Loneliness: Staywell Health Plan, a Centene health plan serving Medicaid members in Florida, is giving members access to a new 24/7 support hotline – HAPPY – to address loneliness and social isolation during the pandemic. Members can call 1-855-953-4567.
  • Smartphones Distributed Statewide to Increase Access to Healthcare: Sunshine Health is donating 1,500 Samsung smartphones to those in need throughout Florida. Seven provider partners are distributing the smartphones to the patients who need them most, to have easier access to healthcare services. Recipients of the phones do not have to be Sunshine Health members. There is no cost to the recipients for the first 3 months. The smartphones were part of a larger purchase made by Centene from Samsung. Centene distributed 16,000 smartphones to multiple state health plans.
  • Telehealth Service Expansion: Sunshine Health added more than 7,000 providers offering telehealth during the pandemic, making it easier for members to see a doctor without leaving their home. Medicaid members in Case Management can also download Wellframe, a mobile app with timely health education alerts that also gives them the ability to securely text their Care Manager.

Awareness Campaign

  • Childhood Vaccination Campaign: To address the decline of immunizations for children during the COVID-19 crisis, Sunshine Health launched a public awareness campaign on Facebook to educate mothers on the importance of vaccinations, reaching more than 246,000 people.
    • To reward providers for getting members in for preventive care, we are offering a limited-time provider bonus of $25 for every child who receives all of their Childhood Immunization (Combo 3) vaccines by their second birthday and completes their Childhood Immunization series by the end of the year.
  • Pediatric Association Vaccination Campaign: This $25,000 sponsorship supports a statewide public awareness campaign to drive childhood vaccination rates, which are falling due to delayed well child visits during COVID-19.