Insurers Award $6.2M to Not-for-Profit Health Care Efforts in California
On Monday, UnitedHealth Group and PacifiCare announced that they will distribute more than $6.2 million in grants to 12 not-for-profit health care programs statewide, the East Bay Business Times reports.
The grants were negotiated by former Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi (D) as part of the state's requirements for approving UnitedHealth's purchase of PacifiCare in 2005. The deal requires UnitedHealth to distribute $50 million in grants and invest $200 million over five years to improve California's health care system (East Bay Business Times, 6/16).
The largest grant amount will go to the Health Professions Education Foundation in Sacramento (Office of the Governor release, 6/16). The group will receive $2.5 million to expand its clinician support system that helps direct clinicians to underserved communities.
Other grants will fund health information technology initiatives, medical education and efforts to improve coordination of health care services in California (Robertson, Sacramento Business Journal, 6/16).