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Facing record demand, more must be done to support frontline nonprofits

By Ellen Duffield, President and CEO, Highmark Wholecare

Nov 11, 2022

With each passing day, inflation impacts the well being of Berks County residents, disproportionately affecting lower-income families. Essentials like food and housing are less accessible due to price increases, lack of staffing, and supply chain bottlenecks. To paint the picture with numbers, consider that those eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid benefits, known as Dual Special Needs Plans (D-SNP), are anticipated to grow by 51 percent by 2030.  In Berks County, those eligible are projected to double compared to Pennsylvania as a whole. This steep increase, largely due to the erosion of peoples’ savings, means that more individuals and families won’t just be turning more to healthcare organizations for help – they’ll need support from everyday frontline nonprofits, from food pantries to housing advocacy organizations. And yet, as demand for these services skyrockets, many nonprofits are struggling, forced to scale back their services or shut their doors entirely due to lack of resources.

Feeding America, the largest network of food banks in the country, recently reported that 65 percent of member pantries have seen a marked increase in the number of people served. Simultaneously, cash donations, which increased at the start of the pandemic, are now down by one-third year-over-year. This downward trend hurts vulnerable populations. Lower-income households spend a far greater share of income on necessities; food alone can account for nearly a third of their budget. Where many of us have the option to eliminate unnecessary spending like dining out, these households have already tightened their belts to the last notch.

Those that can help cannot turn a blind eye to this need – we must come to nonprofits’ aid. In fact, studies show that medical care only accounts for 20 percent of a person’s health. The other 80 percent is shaped by ‘social determinants’ including access to food, housing, transportation, and education. It’s an easy enough picture to paint: If someone is uncertain about their next meal, they don’t have the luxury of worrying about its nutritional value.

As a large healthcare provider that cares for those most in need, Highmark Wholecare sees examples of this among our members every day. In fact, Over 50% of our Medicare members have received at least one referral for food, housing, or transportation-related support last year. We recently doubled down on our funding of frontline nonprofits with $500,000 in statewide donations, on top of free dental and mammogram clinics with partners like Centro Hispano.  In addition, we have a full-time bilingual community health worker that connects the Latino community with local organizations.

After visiting several of these frontline nonprofits, it has become abundantly clear that, while on-mission contributions from healthcare organizations are critical, they are not enough on their own. Without an influx of volunteers and individual donations, our nation’s devastating health inequities will continue to fester and grow.  This is why we recently announced our most robust non-medical benefit package to date for D-SNP populations, those most vulnerable in tough economic times. This includes $2,000 annually in financial support to help members with food, utility and transportation as well as $8,000 in dental coverage. But in addition to providing more aid, we must work to change the often shortsighted perception of medical care. When we begin to look beyond the body and view healthcare as a tool to achieve mental, emotional, financial, and socio-economic wellness, the world can change.

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