Our Focus Areas

CareFirst invests in community health and social impact to address the root causes of health disparities. Why? Because medical care is estimated to account for only 10-20% of a person’s health. Social, economic and environmental factors account for 80-90%.

SDOH can adversely affect any individual’s life, regardless of race or ethnicity. But many groups experience health disparities unevenly. These groups are defined by differences in:

  • Gender
  • Sexual identity and orientation
  • Race and ethnicity
  • Disability status
  • Geographic location

Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just chance to be as healthy as possible. To meet our goal of achieving total health equity, we focus on removing obstacles to good health, such as racism, poverty and discrimination. When these barriers are lifted, so are their consequences. As a result, more people have access to:

  • Jobs with fair pay
  • Quality education and housing
  • Safe environments and healthcare

CareFirst has a chance to be a leading industry force in support of health equity. We have a long journey to make a meaningful difference, and we’re committed to ensuring our actions are impactful and sustainable.

That’s why we focus on the most vulnerable and underserved populations in the region. Our strategy for giving supports a wide range of funding priorities.





Accessible, Affordable, High-Quality Care: Improving processes and creating systems to assess preventive care and clinical and social needs, while establishing the ability to make referrals.

Chronic Conditions: Addressing conditions that drive disparities in chronic diseases, such as diabetes.

Behavioral Health: Providing access to appropriate behavioral health, substance use, racial trauma-informed care and adverse childhood experiences services.

Educational Opportunity: Providing access to education, skills training and employment opportunities.

Economic Inclusion : Supporting small business creation and workforce training.

Social Responsibility & Impact : “Do well and do good” leverages the total assets of CareFirst in service of communities while pursuing strategic growth.