WellCare and Its Employees Contribute More Than $118,000 To The American Diabetes Association In 2013
Tampa, Fla. (PRWEB) November 13, 2013 -- WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) today announced that the company, its employees and the WellCare Community Foundation contributed more than $118,000 to the American Diabetes Association to raise awareness and funds to help the nearly 26 million people across the country who are living with the disease.
WellCare’s employees across the U.S. raised more than $43,000 by participating in the American Diabetes Association’s Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes® events in various cities. The employees, along with family members and friends, formed 22 teams with more than 300 registered walkers in Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York and Texas. WellCare’s Tampa walk team, which included 245 walkers, raised approximately $30,000 of these funds. The company, in conjunction with the WellCare Community Foundation, donated an additional $75,000 to sponsor Team Red walkers in five cities across the country: Tampa, Lexington, Atlanta, Chicago and New York City. Team Red provides an opportunity for individual walkers in select cities to join an American Diabetes Association walk team in their area.
“As a managed care organization, WellCare has the privilege of serving millions of people across the country, many of whom are impacted by diabetes. Our goal is to help them lead better, healthier lives,” said Dr. Steven Goldberg, WellCare’s senior vice president and chief medical officer. “This is WellCare’s fifth year supporting the American Diabetes Association’s annual Step Out walks, and I am proud to work with so many WellCare employees who have made a commitment to continuing the fight to stop this disease.”
“In addition to the nearly 26 million children and adults in the U.S. who have diabetes, there are another 79 million who have prediabetes, and if action isn’t taken to change this serious trend, one in three Americans will have diabetes by 2050,” said David McShea, national director, Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes. “WellCare and its employees have donated more than $350,000 to the American Diabetes Association over the past five years to support our cause, and have encouraged so many others to get involved in the fight against diabetes. On behalf of the association and families who are living with the disease, I applaud their efforts and thank them for their ongoing support.”
As part of its efforts to fight diabetes, WellCare identifies members with the disease and performs outreach using a team of registered nurses and health professionals with clinical experience with diabetes. WellCare also provides education and health coaching for members and their caregivers, empowering them to make behavioral changes, self-manage their condition, and ensure the choices they make will improve their health and quality of life.
About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
WellCare Health Plans, Inc. provides managed care services targeted to government-sponsored health care programs, focusing on Medicaid and Medicare. Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare offers a variety of health plans for families, children, and the aged, blind, and disabled, as well as prescription drug plans. The company serves approximately 2.8 million members nationwide as of September 30, 2013. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at http://www.wellcare.com.
About the WellCare Community Foundation
The WellCare Community Foundation was established in 2010 and is a non-profit, private foundation. Its mission is to foster and promote the health, well-being and quality of life for the poor, distressed and other medically underserved populations - including, those who are elderly, young and indigent - and the communities in which they live. The WellCare Community Foundation carries out this mission by supporting work that helps people live healthy, safe and productive lives, and by assisting groups with serious and neglected health needs. Underscoring this mission is the WellCare Community Foundation's goal to serve as a national resource that fosters an environment where there is a continuum of education, access and quality health care, all of which improve the overall health, well-being and quality of life of targeted beneficiaries.
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CONTACT:
Media Relations
Denise Malecki
813-206-2747
denise(dot)malecki(at)wellcare(dot)com
Denise Malecki - Media Relations, WellCare Health Plans, Inc., https://www.wellcare.com/, +1 (813) 206-2747, [email protected]
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