From the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was clear that low-income communities of color were being disproportionately affected – suffering more cases, hospitalizations and deaths. It put a spotlight on health inequities that have long existed, but could no longer be ignored. The CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan, which serves some of the hardest-hit communities in Los Angeles County, joins the Healthy Dose of Dialogue podcast this week to discuss the health inequities and how the health plan is addressing them.
During the podcast, which is hosted by Don Antonucci, Senior Vice President of Growth at Blue Shield of California, Baackes discusses the health plan’s efforts to integrate service delivery with health care to improve health outcomes. One example he gives is addressing food insecurity.
Baackes says the need for food assistance skyrocketed early in the pandemic and has remained a consistent need. Not long into the pandemic, L.A. Care began hosting and sponsoring dozens of food pantries across the county, serving tens of thousands of families. The food pantries continue to this day through the Community Resource Center partnership with Blue Shield Promise.
Baackes discusses his hopes of one day being able to incorporate the formal social services that Medi-Cal beneficiaries are entitled to into their health coverage, rather than sending members to another agency to try to access those services. You can learn more by tuning into the Healthy Dose of Dialogue podcast on Friday, April 30 on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.