Economic Inclusion – Provider, Payer and Community Partnerships Driving Total Cost of Care

The wealth and health of a community are not mutually exclusive. CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) is working with dedicated community partners to ensure everyone in our region has the resources they need to be healthy.

Many things contribute to the overall health of a community, including clinical and social factors. We call these social determinants of health. These determinants include quality education, healthy food options, well-paying jobs and much more—all things that are much harder to address within the walls of a doctor’s office.

You may wonder, “why is a health insurance company like CareFirst investing in economic inclusion?” We must address the building blocks of overall health to create healthy communities. That responsibility leads us to invest in the work we do with our community partners— those on the front lines, living and working in the communities we call home.

Recently, Kimberly Harris, Director of Community Health and Social Impact for the National Capital Area at CareFirst, moderated a panel with The Healthcare Financial Management Association where she and community partners discussed how economic inclusion impacts overall health.

Kimberly was joined by nonprofit leaders throughout the Mid-Atlantic region who received a CareFirst grant to further economic inclusion in their communities. Speakers included:

• Richard Trent, Executive Director of Friends of Anacostia Park
• Bree Jones, Founder of Parity Homes
• Gabriela Lemus, Executive Director of Maryland Latinos Unidos (MLU)
• Lauren Goldschmidt, Director of Community Services for ServiceSource
• Van Brooks, Founder of Safe Alternative for Education, Inc.

From workforce development projects to student educational programs and housing stability initiatives to nonprofit support, these community leaders are furthering the health and wealth of their communities and creating better health outcomes overall.