Staff Reports
Sunshine Health is continuing to help those impacted by Hurricane Ian, including health plan members, providers, employees and communities.
Sunshine Health, a managed care plan with a Florida Medicaid contract, and the Centene Charitable Foundation committed $1 million to the Florida Disaster Fund.
“On behalf of Volunteer Florida, we would like to thank Sunshine Health for its significant financial contribution to the Florida Disaster Fund in response to the statewide recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian,” Volunteer Florida CEO Josie Tamayo said. “Their contribution to the Florida Disaster Fund will help provide essential services in rebuilding our affected communities.”
Sunshine Health, which provides specialized health care for children in or adopted from Florida’s child welfare system, committed $30,000 to the Florida Coalition for Children Foundation’s Disaster Relief Fund. The funds will go directly to families in Florida’s child welfare system for needs such as temporary housing, clothing, gas cards and other basic necessities.
“Once again, Sunshine Health has shown their genuine love and compassion for the children, youth, and families of Florida. We greatly appreciate their proactive and generous response to this crisis,” Florida Coalition for Children President and CEO Kurt Kelly said.
Sunshine Health also committed $25,000 to Farm Share, Inc. to help distribute water and disaster supplies to the communities impacted most by Hurricane Ian. In addition to their financial contribution, Sunshine Health employee volunteers also helped load food and supplies onto trucks traveling to Fort Myers.
“We are grateful for partners like Sunshine Health who are helping us bring needed resources to impacted communities,” Farm Share Founder and CEO Stephen Shelley said.
Sunshine Health tapped its Welcome Rooms in impacted areas to serve as a community resource, service and goods distribution centers in partnership with the Department of Children and Families.
DCF Family Resource Support Centers were open at Welcome Rooms in Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa and New Port Richey shortly after the storm passed. Sunshine Health employees from around the state quickly mobilized to purchase, transport and distribute food and supplies, such as water, shelf-stable foods, diapers, wipes and formula to stock Welcome Rooms.
Victims of Hurricane Ian can access Hope Navigators, behavioral health specialists and public benefit eligibility specialists at the Welcome Rooms.
Center locations are changing and expanding to areas as needs evolve. Sites are currently open in Cape Coral, Sarasota and Arcadia. Sunshine Health is continuing to support sites with employee volunteers and relief supplies distribution. A list of centers and their addresses currently open to the public can be found on DCF’s Family Resource Support Center webpage.
Sunshine Health’s 11 Welcome Rooms statewide remain open for basic immediate needs from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Rooms are open to the public and include snacks, supplies, internet, community and resource connections. All Sunshine Health Welcome Room locations can be found here.
Sunshine Health is proactively reaching out to its high-risk members to support their needs. They are also waiving early refill time limits for active prescription and authorization requirements for pharmacy and medical claims.
For those enrolled in Ambetter, the Health Care Marketplace, member policy cancellations are on hold.
Sunshine Health members affected by Hurricane Ian can visit SunshineHealth.com or call Member Services at 1-866-796-0530 (TTY: 1-800-955-8770) for assistance with physical or mental health needs, or community resource connections.
Sunshine Health plans to continue to work with partners to rebuild and strengthen communities through members, employee, provider and community initiatives.
“Sunshine Health is deeply embedded in the communities we serve, and we’re proud to be able to answer the call of need in what is many Floridians’ darkest hour in the devastating wake of Hurricane Ian,” Sunshine Health CEO and Plan President Nathan Landsbaum said.
“Our heartfelt thoughts are with our neighbors, our fellow Floridians, and our resources and assets will be deployed to help Florida recover from this catastrophic storm.”
