More At-Risk Californians Find Housing and Get Access to Medical and Other Care thanks to More Than $284 Million in Investments This Decade by Health Net

From 2020 to 2025, Health Net's investments have fueled community-based programs to expand access to medical, behavioral, wellness and social services for Medi-Cal members

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Net, one of California's most experienced Medi-Cal managed care health plans and a company of Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC), invested more than $284 million to strengthen and support community-based organizations from 2020 to 2025. This investment underscores Health Net's decades-long work to advancing access to quality healthcare, including medical, behavioral, nutritional, and supportive services.

"Good healthcare is more than addressing physical medical needs," said Dorothy Seleski, Medi-Cal plan president at Health Net. "At Health Net, we know safe housing, a full table, and trusted local relationships make a real difference. That's why we invest in partnerships, programs, and resources that meet people where they are. We connect members with housing options, nourishing food, dependable care and practical support, like transportation, to help them stay well. We're proud to stand with community organizations that turn immediate support into lasting opportunity."

Health Net continues to partner with hundreds of local California organizations to advance access to care and tackle barriers to health. This includes addressing the lack of housing, food deserts, transportation costs, and more. As a result, more Medi-Cal members now experience:

• Better Health: Medically tailored meals, street medicine, doulas, and coordinated care improve chronic disease control (e.g., diabetes), lower C-section rates, reduce catastrophic medical incidents requiring emergency response and much more.
• More stability and safety: Permanent housing placements and on-site supportive services reduce exposure to violence, illness, and environmental stressors.
• More reliable access to care: Transportation assistance, tele-mental health for students, and community-based services reduce missed appointments and help close more treatment gaps.
• Better birth outcomes: Doula support sharply reduces risky C-sections and maternal complications, especially for Black mothers.
• Stronger condition management: Nutrition education and sustained support help increase medication adherence and improve chronic disease control.

The following examples illustrate key initiatives supported through these investments:

Addressing Homelessness

Health Net has invested millions of dollars over time to address homelessness and housing instability in Los Angeles, supporting both immediate health needs and long‑term housing solutions. In 2023, Health Net, in partnership with L.A. Care Health Plan, invested $34 million to address the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles County. The investment is helping secure leases of as many as 1,900 housing units and funding critical services such as maintenance, pest control, and greenspace to support resident stability.

"When my diabetes was out of control, my physician assistant came to see me almost every day at my tent," a Health Net member who received street medicine services through Wesley Health Centers on Skid Row shared. "She helps me take my medicine, and now my sugars are the best they have ever been… I feel so much better, like I can start to get my life together. I am so grateful for her and her team."

In addition to these Los Angeles–focused collaborations, Health Net has committed an additional $37 million to expand the supply of affordable housing statewide, supporting the development of more than 900 new low‑income housing units currently in progress across California.

Reducing Food Deserts

Health Net and the Centene Foundation committed a $1.1 million grant to the California Association of Food Banks in 2025 to help address the growing food insecurity crisis impacting 1 in 5 Californians. This funding bolsters emergency food responses and enhanced infrastructure—such as refrigerated trucks and cold storage—to distribute more nutrient-rich foods to 10 local food banks.

"When families in rural communities struggle to put food on the table, the entire community feels the impact," said Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria, California's 27th Assembly District. "This investment from Health Net and the Centene Foundation strengthens local food banks and ensures that neighbors can support neighbors during these challenging times. By working together, we're building stronger, healthier communities for the future."

Overcoming Transportation Barriers

In 2025, Health Net and the Centene Foundation invested more than $7.2 million to expand healthcare access for Californians through mobile clinics. These mobile units offer preventive care, screenings, health education, and social services in community settings, helping reduce common barriers such as transportation and time away from work.

Through partnerships with AltaMed, Community Medical Centers, Kaweah Health, and Vision y Compromiso, the initiative brought essential care directly to neighborhoods, making services more accessible and building stronger connections between providers and the communities they serve.

Advancing Maternal Healthcare

C-section rates among Black mothers in Los Angeles dropped from 70% to 10% within just six months, thanks in large part to The Community Doula Project. This is in part due to a $150,000 grant in 2023 to support the California Coalition for Black Birth Justice, the Preterm Birth Initiative at UCSF, and Cherished Futures for Black Moms & Babies, all of which contributed to this important outcome.

"To create lasting change, we need sustained investment in Black-led organizations, along with clear accountability and transparency," said Dana Sherrod, executive director of the California Coalition for Black Birth Justice. "We're grateful that Health Net recognized the importance of this work early on. Their support helped strengthen our foundation, and we hope it inspires others to step forward and invest in solutions that truly make a difference."

Delivering Medically Tailored Meals

A partnership with Project Angel Food delivered over 1 million medically tailored meals annually to Medi-Cal members through CalAIM from 2023 to 2025. In addition to meal delivery, the program provides twice-daily medically tailored meals for at least 12 weeks and includes nutrition counseling designed to improve health outcomes, support chronic disease management, and enhance overall well-being for participating members.

These initiatives represent just a fraction of Health Net's broader strategy to leverage data, partnerships, and community engagement to improve whole-person care and reduce health disparities across California.

Health Net's $284 million commitment is a testament to its mission of transforming communities and creating a healthier California for all.

To learn more about Health Net's local commitments, visit www.bridgingthedivideca.com.

About Health Net

Founded in California more than 45 years ago, Health Net, LLC ("Health Net"), a company of Centene Corporation, believes that every person deserves a safety net for their health, regardless of age, income, employment status or current state of health. Today, we provide health plans for individuals, families, businesses of every size and people who qualify for Medi-Cal or Medicare. With more than 117,000 of our network providers, Health Net serves more than three million members across the state. We also offer access to substance abuse programs, behavioral health services and managed healthcare products related to prescription drugs. We make these health plans and services available through Health Net and its subsidiaries: Health Net of California, Inc., Health Net Life Insurance Company and Health Net Community Solutions, Inc. These entities are wholly owned subsidiaries of Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC), a leading healthcare enterprise committed to transforming the health of the communities we serve, one person at a time. Health Net and Centene Corporation employ more than 5,700 people in California who work at one of five regional Talent Hub offices. For more information, visit www.HealthNet.com.

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SOURCE Health Net