UnitedHealthcare to Award $120,000 to MI Organizations

· Grants will support organizations that address healthy eating and physical activity for Michigan youth

· RFP available to nonprofits, Federally Qualified Health Centers and other organizations at communitygrants@uhc.com

UnitedHealthcare is seeking to grant funds for specific proposals from community organizations to improve nutrition and physical activity resources for Michigan’s youth.

Initial grants will range from $20,000 to $30,000. Qualifying organizations, including Michigan-based nonprofits and Federally Quality Health Centers (FQHCs), can receive the full Request for Proposal (RFP) by contacting communitygrants@uhc.com. Proposals are due May 1, 2015. Awardees will be notified Sept. 30, 2015.

The RFP was developed following a community brainstorming session that brought together people from nonprofit and community-based organizations to develop strategies to address the issue.

“We recognize the health challenges facing many people, including Medicaid beneficiaries, and we welcome the opportunity to partner with community organizations and nonprofits to improve access to the quality health care that our young people in Michigan need and deserve,” said Dennis Mouras, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Michigan.

According to Michigan’s Blueprint for Innovation, nearly 1 in 4 Michigan children live in a household where food is scarce, and only one-third of youth participate in physical education classes daily. Michigan ranks 43rd out of 50 for overall health, according to the 2014 America’s Health Rankings® report.

UnitedHealthcare serves more than 700,000 people in Michigan enrolled in employer-sponsored, individual, Medicare and Medicaid health plans, with a care provider network of 172 hospitals and nearly 29,000 physicians statewide.