The foundation of an effective treatment regimen is knowledge, and public health is no different. By driving awareness and fostering advocacy, Humana worked to empower communities and develop solutions that drove successful health interventions based on specific community needs.
To create quality-centered, personalized and effective care for all members, Humana works to understand the root causes of barriers to health. We invest in relationships and programs that support interventions shown to make a difference for members and communities.
During 2020, many of our members and communities were at great mental and physical health risk due to COVID-19 and social distancing protocols. By working with our industry and community partners, Humana found ways to address not only immediate needs, but also the underlying inequities exposed by the pandemic.
“Strategic public-private partnerships are critical for supporting and enhancing community health.”Curt LoxDean of the University of North Florida, Brooks College of Health, a Humana community partner
Community referral programs took on a bigger and broader role as relationships matured and adoption grew. The value of a referral feedback loop was more critical than ever in 2020 as communities experienced a disruption in services and individuals struggled to have their needs met.
Learn how our San Antonio market worked with community and technology partners to form a community health network that is helping improve the health of individuals while strengthening community connections.
Five years of sitting at the table with community partners to create solutions proved we are better together. Read about how innovative team-based care, strong member relationships and thoughtful technology worked together to improve outcomes for members receiving services from Belle, a provider specializing in foot care.
Advocating for a healthier nation
A large part of Humana’s efforts to support our members in improving their mental and physical health is advocating on their behalf and leading among our peers within America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). CEO Bruce Broussard is 2021 AHIP board chair and, as such, is helping to spearhead efforts aiding America’s most at-risk, vulnerable and underserved communities in getting COVID-19 vaccines.
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In Humana’s efforts to bring to light health inequities, we examine some of the root causes and effects of racial and ethnic health disparities, as well as opportunities for the healthcare sector to advance equity, in our Health Equity Issue Brief.
Achieving health equity requires all patients to have access to good quality healthcare services that meet their whole health needs. Because we are working hand-in-hand with community and clinical partners, we understand the distinct challenges they face in addressing the root causes of health disparities. That is why we advocate alongside them for making quality a part of social determinants of health conversation in Washington and the healthcare industry.
Watching history happen is exciting. We saw firsthand in 2020 what that looked like when the inaugural class of the University of Houston College of Medicine received its white coats. With five colleges at the Humana Integrated Health System Sciences Institute at the University of Houston discovering new ways of working remotely, their 2020 was historic in more ways than one.
Among the initiatives undertaken by the Institute was a first-of-its-kind Specialization program for value-based care on Coursera, an online learning platform. With a focus on a multi-disciplined team approach to care, the courses support the Institute’s multidisciplinary goal to inspire healthcare professionals in advancing population and community health and to instill passion for working with the underserved.
Issue Briefs, released quarterly, support Humana’s Social Determinants of Health initiatives throughout the enterprise and further the strategy to influence population health focused policy change.
We track our progress using the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assessment tool, Healthy Days, which measures self-reported mentally and physically unhealthy days of an individual over a 30-day period.
We are partnering with academic centers and professional organizations to conduct peer-reviewed, relevant research for physicians.
Basic Needs Program tackles food insecurity
Supporting members in their well-being has always been Humana’s priority, so when COVID-19 threatened to affect lives and access to needed resources like food and medical care, teams within the enterprise looked to find innovative ways to help.
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A San Antonio, TX Food Bank volunteer distributes food boxes to families in need.
“Core to Humana’s Bold Goal strategy is proactively establishing the business case for why addressing health-related social needs and social determinants of health are critical to producing sustainable long-term positive health outcomes for our members and communities.”Andrew Renda, MD, MPHHumana Vice President, Bold Goal and Population Health Strategy
