'Ohana Health Plan Recognizes Better Tomorrows and Towers at Kuhio Park for Member Initiative Support

KAPOLEI, Hawaii and TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 'Ohana Health Plan, a WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) company, will recognize its community collaborator, Better Tomorrows, for supporting the success of its "It Takes a Village – Preventive Health Care" initiative at the Towers at Kuhio Park, which effectively reduced health care gaps for members.

Last year, thanks to the "It Takes a Village" initiative and its incentive program, 'Ohana was able to close 50 percent of the care gaps in the Towers at Kuhio Park community by successfully motivating members to participate in vital preventive care such as immunizations, cancer screenings, women's health screenings and more.

"We're grateful for our collaboration with Better Tomorrows and the Towers at Kuhio Park for contributing to the great success of our 'It Takes a Village' program," said Scott Sivik, state president of 'Ohana. "We're dedicated to helping our members connect to vital preventive care in order to support a better quality of life."

Preventive services have been linked to promoting better health and wellness in patients. In fact, many costly chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, are highly preventable. According to the CDC, chronic conditions are responsible for 7 of every 10 deaths in the U.S. each year. They also account for 75 percent of the country's health spending.

The "It Takes a Village" program worked with Better Tomorrows to encourage members at Towers at Kuhio Park to regularly visit their physicians and participate in important preventive services. Prevention and early detection can boost health outcomes while reducing costs to the health care system. Since these efforts helped close care gaps, 'Ohana was able to increase the care that members utilized.

Due to the success of the inaugural program, the "It Takes a Village" initiative will continue through 2017 as well.

In honor of this accomplishment, 'Ohana is hosting a recognition ceremony for Better Tomorrows and the Towers at Kuhio Park, which will include a check presentation, untying of the maile lei and a traditional Hawaiian blessing. The proceeds will go toward the purchasing and installation of much needed fans in the facility's laundromats.

"The benefits of this program are immeasurable because 'Ohana's efforts and encouragement helps to improve the health of the at-risk Towers at Kuhio Park residents who are members of the health plan," said Anni Peterson, social service director for Better Tomorrows. "Moreover, the generous donation of the fans provides a much welcomed amenity for all residents."

This event will take place on Saturday, September 16, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. at the Towers at Kuhio Park, Tower A, located at 1475 Linapuni Street, Honolulu, HI, 96819.

About 'Ohana Health Plan

'Ohana Health Plan has more than 250 employees in Hawaii and serves approximately 54,000 members through its offices in Kapolei, Honolulu, Hilo and Kahului. 'Ohana has been able to take WellCare's national experience and develop an 'Ohana care model that addresses local members' health care and health coordination needs. As of June 30, 2017, 'Ohana serves approximately 47,000 Medicaid members, 6,000 Medicare Advantage members, and 1,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) members in Hawaii. For more information about 'Ohana, please visit the company's website at www.ohanahealthplan.com.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.

Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. The company serves approximately 4.4 million members nationwide as of June 30, 2017. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.

About Better Tomorrows

Better Tomorrows is a non-profit organization committed to supporting vulnerable housing communities by providing comprehensive programming and individualized case management services that empower children, seniors, families and neighborhoods to thrive. They serve over 26,000 individuals in need across the U.S. To learn more, visit www.bettertomorrows.org.

About the Towers at Kuhio Park (The Michaels Organization)

The Towers at Kuhio Park is owned and managed by The Michaels Organization, which has led a $135 million revitalization of the Towers in 2013 in partnership with the Hawaii Housing Authority and The Vitus Group. Serving more than 140,000 residents in 380 communities across 35 states, D.C., and the USVI, The Michaels Organization is a national leader in residential real estate with full-service capabilities in development, property management, finance, and tax credit syndication. For more information, go to www.TMO.com.

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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.