SCAN Health Plan Supports Senior Health and Independence

Through Community Giving and Outreach Programs

Nearly $350,000 Granted in 2010 to Support Seniors in Need

(LONG BEACH, CA – January 11, 2011) —SCAN Health Plan announced today that in the year just concluded the nonprofit, senior-focused health plan provided $349,337 in financial support to 29 nonprofit agencies that serve seniors across California.

SCAN’s community-giving program is focused on helping to meet immediate needs – and assist with closing gaps – in community services. Funding is provided to community-based, nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to seniors, particularly those providing basic human needs such as food.

“Our mission is to help seniors live independently at home and in their communities as long as possible,” said Lena Perelman, director of community outreach for SCAN. “All too often financial challenges stand in the way of seniors receiving the support they need as they age. Together with our local partners, we are working to make a genuine impact on the lives of older adults in every community we serve.”

In addition to the financial support provided by SCAN, its employees also demonstrate a commitment to helping seniors through various activities throughout the year. In the fourth quarter of 2010 alone, SCAN employees:

• Helped plant a new Senior Community Garden at the Tom Bradley Senior Center in Watts. SCAN also provided $10,000 to support the garden project.
• Assisted the International Institute of Los Angeles (IILA) in assembling bags filled with food to be delivered to low-income and homebound seniors during the holidays. SCAN donated $5,000 toward the annual IILA Holiday Food Delivery Program.
• Participated in a SCAN walk-a-thon that raised $2,530 for Long Beach Meals on Wheels. For every employee who walked, SCAN donated $10 to Meals on Wheels. The event raised enough money to feed 389 older adults a healthy and nutritious meal.
• Collected more than 2,000 pounds of food through an employee food drive. The food was delivered to food banks in the Greater Los Angeles area.
• Personally delivered 1,200 warm holiday meals on Thanksgiving Day. SCAN provided $12,500 to cover the cost of the food.

SCAN’s year-round community outreach efforts also include the SCAN Van mobile resource center for seniors and caregivers, SCAN’s “Trading Ages” senior sensitivity program, the SCAN Resource Centers in California and Arizona, and many other initiatives.

“Communities provide a critical safety net of services to older adults, but to do that they need support from both the public and private sectors,” said Perelman. “To that end, SCAN Health Plan is committed to sharing our resources wherever they can do the most good. And that includes financial, geriatric knowledge, hands-on involvement, local programs and action-oriented research.”

Case in point is St. Barnabas Senior Services in Los Angeles, which was one of 11 agencies to receive a $15,000 grant from SCAN to establish an emergency assistance fund. Through this fund the agencies may provide one-time financial support to older adults and their caregivers faced with unexpected expenses. According to Rebecca Benard, vice president of development and strategic initiatives at St. Barnabas, the funds from SCAN have already played a critical role in helping local seniors get through some difficult times.

“We’ve heard from seniors who can’t make their rent or are in danger of having their water and power shut off,” said Benard. “These funds are allowing us to assist these individuals – and others – who just need a little help.”

For more than 30 years, SCAN Health Plan has been focusing on the unique needs of seniors and is now the country’s fourth largest not-for-profit Medicare Advantage plan. The company currently has nearly 130,000 members in California and Arizona. Further information may be obtained at scanhealthplan.com.