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Coordinated Care Showcases Commitment to Tackling Food Insecurity in Washington

Date: 03/19/24

TACOMA, Wash. (Mar. 19, 2024) – Coordinated Care, a Washington managed care organization and wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), today launched a webpage that showcases its ongoing efforts and commitment to addressing social drivers of health for its members, including food insecurity. With 1 in 12 Washingtonians facing food insecurity and one in five Medicaid enrollees lacking reliable access to healthy food, according to the USDA Economic Research Service, Coordinated Care recognizes the important role that consistent access to nutritious food plays in overall health and wellness.

Since 2020, Coordinated Care has invested over $2.3 million in innovative programs to tackle food insecurity across Washington. Several programs and investments include:

  • More than nine million meals provided across the state
    to those most in need 
  • Several medically tailored meal pilots for those with chronic illnesses
  • Free community cooking classes and nutrition education
  • The launch of the Coordinated Care Harvest Bucks™ program – the state’s first and only fruit and vegetable prescription program from a Medicaid insurance plan.

"Particularly as the pandemic took hold, we knew food insecurity was a major concern for our members and the community," said Coordinated Care President and CEO Beth Johnson. "Coordinated Care launched our One Million Meals campaign, offered our members more access to fruits and vegetables, and partnered with other experts to respond to those needs and increase access to nutritious food.”

Many of these programs have continued following the pandemic given increasing food costs and have been made possible by partnering with uniquely local organizations like Emergency Food Network, FareStart, Northwest Harvest, Port Angeles Food Bank, the Washington State Department of Health, WithinReach and more.

“Coordinated Care is an incredible example of a partner who we would describe as ‘all-in’ – volunteering their time, sharing generous financial support and promoting impactful programs that lead to healthy outcomes, especially around our nutrition education and self-sufficiency efforts,” said Chris Houglum, philanthropy director at 2nd Harvest, in Spokane. “Nobody should have to go to bed hungry in our community – it’s a problem that is totally solvable. It's partners like Coordinated Care who fuel this work we endeavor to advance every day.”

Coordinated Care has worked collaboratively with local partners to expand access to quality care for the most vulnerable populations for the last twelve years. Learn more about Coordinated Care’s commitment to Washington: CoordinatedCareHealth.com/WA-first. 

About Coordinated Care

Coordinated Care provides free and low-cost health insurance coverage to more than 300,000 Medicaid, foster care, Medicare and marketplace members across Washington, with more than 30,000 providers in-network. Coordinated Care is committed to transforming the health of the community one person at a time. They treat the whole person by breaking down barriers to accessing care, walking members through their benefits, and connecting them to the care they need. Coordinated Care is a Washington managed care organization and a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise committed to helping people live healthier lives. To learn more, visit http://www.CoordinatedCareHealth.com. 

For further information about how Coordinated Care invests in solutions across Washington addressing social drivers of health, visit CoordinatedCarehealth.com/about-us/community.

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