WellCare of NC creates welcoming environments for Medicaid beneficiaries

This article is written for our sponsor, WellCare of NC.

In North Carolina, over 2.3 million beneficiaries rely on Medicaid for essential services that improve their health and overall well-being. While most of these beneficiaries are from low-income families, medically fragile children, individuals with mental illnesses, and people in adult care facilities also rely on this government programming.

While Medicaid continues to try and improve healthcare access, many beneficiaries still face obstacles when accessing the care and support services they need. Seeing this challenge, WellCare of NC has established "Welcome Rooms" to provide needed support and assistance to Medicaid beneficiaries.

The rooms provide access to education, resources, and advocates who are experienced in assisting with healthcare needs. More importantly, Welcome Rooms are designed to be a comfortable and welcoming environment where members can go for help with their benefits, get referrals to social programs, and receive support with other healthcare needs.

"If [a member] has issues with their claims, we have experienced team members on site who can help them with these types of issues," said Jasmine Smith, Manager of Community Engagement at WellCare of NC. "Healthcare can be so complicated, and calling an 800 number is not ideal when talking about something as confidential as your healthcare needs. Hopefully, these Welcome Rooms will offer help and a friend who can assist them with their needs," added Smith.

With just one convenient stop, beneficiaries can receive a consultation to understand their benefits, apply for and receive ID replacements and get information on and referral to vital social programming. While it’s incredibly important that these rooms offer one-on-one consultation with experts, there is another purpose to Welcome Rooms, to create community. Members can come in for something as simple as a cup of coffee or a snack.

WellCare of NC understands holistic health is bigger than routine exams or vaccines. It’s about making a person know that they are valued and helping them understand that there is a myriad of services and organizations that may be able to provide services.

"In addition to educating members, we partner with nonprofits. We know nonprofits are really the crux of our society. Our members utilize things like food pantries and clothing banks or different organizations that provide different services. We think it's essential to invest in and partner with those nonprofits because they are essential to supporting our members and assisting with these social needs," said Smith.

There are plans to increase the number of resources for members even further. "We are looking to do healthy cooking classes, new mom training, and other types of programming," said Smith.

WellCare has Welcome Rooms in six locations across North Carolina, focused in areas with a large volume of Medicaid beneficiaries and on public transit routes.

Welcome Rooms serve as a valuable resource, open to all WellCare members. The Welcome Rooms are ADA accessible, and there is video remote interpreting.

The Welcome Room concept has already appeared in other states with significant success. "The Florida plan has around 13 Welcome Rooms, and they are so well received. Florida is an example for all of our plans across the country, and we have connected with them to get some best practices and advice. We are tailoring some of what we are doing in North Carolina with the Welcome Room program in Florida," said Smith.

The Welcome Rooms are just one example of how WellCare of NC is committed to providing quality healthcare for North Carolinians. Through the use of these rooms, WellCare can connect with members personally and provide the support that is essential to managing health and well-being. By offering education, resources, and advocates dedicated to helping members with their healthcare needs, WellCare can provide a high level of care that is accessible and welcoming to all.

This article is written for our sponsor, WellCare of NC.