UnitedHealth Group Releases Third Annual Social Responsibility Report
- Builds Partnerships to Address Disparities in Health and Health Care and Help People Live Healthier Lives
- Company Adheres to High Standards for Sustainable Environmental Practices, Diversity and Integrity Among Employees
Minneapolis (May 14, 2009) – UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) today announced the release of the company’s third annual Social Responsibility report, titled “Partnering to Help People Live Healthier Lives.” The report details how UnitedHealth Group is working to help improve access to quality health care, prevention information and services, prepare young people to live healthy lives, mentor the next generation of health professionals and strengthen communities where our customers and employees live and work. To view the Social Responsibility content and read the report on-line, visit UnitedHealth Group’s Social Responsibility Web site at
http://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/Main/SocialResponsibility.aspx
“The people of this company are leading the way in helping to improve the health and lives of people every day, and we are pleased to present some of those efforts in our third social responsibility report,” said Jeannine M. Rivet, executive vice president, UnitedHealth Group and executive sponsor of the company’s Social Responsibility efforts. “To achieve our mission of helping people live healthier lives, we partner with community health centers, local groups and advocates, health care providers and medical specialty societies, charitable organizations and the dedicated people who work at our company. We are grateful for the recognition we have received for our on-going commitment to being a socially responsible enterprise.”
In 2008, the company received recognition from several outside organizations for its social responsibility efforts, including:
- The National Black Chamber of Commerce named UnitedHealthcare as the first-ever health benefit provider of choice for its nearly 100,000 member businesses.
- The Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy awarded its 2008 National Healthcare Consumer Advocacy Award to United Health Foundation and Aging with Dignity.
- America’s Health Insurance Plans recognized the United Health Foundation’s Community Health Centers of Excellence Initiative as part of its 2008 Community Leadership Award program.
- In 2008, UnitedHealth Group was selected as the recipient of the Community Health Charities’ “Ray of Hope” award, its highest recognition given to corporate partners.
In 2008, UnitedHealth Group or the United Health Foundation achieved the following:
- Created UnitedHealth HEROES, an innovative initiative that empowers young people to combat obesity in their schools and neighborhoods;
- Continued to support national and international Centers of Excellence to stimulate discoveries about better prevention and control of chronic disease;
- Led a collaborative campaign, PEACE of Heart, to provide early intervention for people at risk for heart disease and to help them secure a medical home.
- Continued a three-year, multi-million-dollar commitment to the Make-A-Wish Foundation® for children with serious illnesses;
- Supported medical specialty societies to establish evidence-based care standards;
- Contributed to five outstanding community health clinics in four of the nation’s poorest communities, including a new partnership with Howard University’s School of Dentistry to provide critical dental services to children and their families;
- Provided important health information to health policy-makers and decision makers, community groups, and health consumers in the 19th annual edition of America’s Health RankingsTM;
- Continued with the second year of our 10-year, $100 million program, United Minnesota, supporting health, education and well-being in our home state; and
- Supported nearly 71 percent of employees who volunteered in their communities.
The United Health Foundation provides scholarship funding for students of color to increase the number of diverse college graduates who enter the health workforce. Working with organizations like the National Hispanic Health Foundation, students like Diana Mendoza use the scholarship money to improve their communities.
“My strengths lie in helping others to see their own strengths,” said Mendoza, a scholarship recipient. “I want to give my community tangible tools they can use to empower themselves so that they can be resources for their own communities.”
In 2008, the company also strengthened its ethics and integrity programs with a curriculum of nine new courses and introduced a Supplier Code of Conduct that sets standards of business performance for vendors and other business partners in corporate governance, labor practices and human rights, worker health and safety, the environment and ethical business practices. UnitedHealth Group’s Supplier Diversity Program strengthens economic conditions in the markets we serve by identifying and sourcing minority, female and veteran-owned businesses, as well as those businesses in historically underutilized business zones. And the company received a 95 percent rating from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for its outreach to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group is a diversified health and well-being company dedicated to making health care work better. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through six operating businesses: UnitedHealthcare, Ovations, AmeriChoice, OptumHealth, Ingenix, and Prescription Solutions. Through its family of businesses, UnitedHealth Group serves more than 70 million individuals nationwide.
