Environmental Impacts on Health
As the leader in government-sponsored healthcare, we work with the nation’s most vulnerable populations helping them access high-quality care. The people we serve are likely to be disproportionally impacted by environmental factors which could worsen with a changing climate.
Centene’s efforts to understand and assess the potential environmental impacts on our business enable more educated response planning, improved disclosure and awareness for our stakeholders and support a healthier future for our members and communities. By working together, Centene partnerships help remove barriers to health and address health-related social needs impacted by environmental factors like extreme temperatures, shelter and food security. For example, for services that can be provided virtually, telehealth partnerships help reduce the barriers our members face in accessing healthcare while simultaneously benefiting the environment by reducing greenhouse emissions attributed to transportation.
Centene’s work in confronting environmental impacts on health extends to how we address non-medical barriers to health. On issues like housing, Centene has worked with partners like Habitat for Humanity in Georgia and PROSPERA in Texas to provide housing for members that meets environmental review standards for pollution reduction and sustainability.
Through farmers markets, community gardens and food pantries, Centene employees and community partners work to ensure that our members have access to healthy, locally grown foods from sustainable sources. In Florida, we partner with Farm Share for monthly food distributions across the state, providing healthy fruits and vegetables from local farmers that may have otherwise gone to waste.
Stepping up when disaster strikes
Our response to climate-related impacts includes preparation for risks like worsening or more frequent severe weather, flooding and other potential environmental risks. Over the last several years, in response to various natural disasters, Centene’s employees worked to help our neighbors in a number of ways. Recent examples include:
Mississippi Tornados
In March 2023, Magnolia Health team members deployed to pack, transport and distribute necessities after tornadoes hit Mississippi and Alabama and affected nearly 7,000 Magnolia Health members.
Hawaii Wildfires
In 2023, Centene team members supported Maui relief efforts and conducted outreach to members, providers and vendors to ensure members were able to access shelter, transportation and obtain any necessary care, medication or replacement medical equipment.
Florida Hurricanes
Our team members executed on two prongs of our approach to environmental and climate resilience in 2022 and 2023:
- Direct support for members for storm preparation in advance and post-storm safety checks to ensure they have needed medicines, equipment and shelter
- Setting up disaster relief sites to supply impacted communities with needed supplies such as food, cleaning supplies and other items
Learn more about our commitment to Environmental Sustainability.
Watch how Centene subsidiary Nebraska Total Care helps provide healthy food options for communities in need.
