PRESS RELEASE

UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation Awards 10,000th Medical Grant; Continues to Assist Families with Children’s Medical Expenses

September 17, 2015
  • Grants help families pay for children’s medical expenses not covered, or not fully covered, by a commercial health insurance plan
  • Families can apply for grants online at www.UHCCF.org
  • UnitedHealthcare kicks off awareness campaign by donating 10,000 children’s joke books to youth-based community organizations and health centers across the country

The UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF) has delivered its 10,000th child medical grant. Since 2007, UHCCF has awarded 10,000 grants valued at more than $28 million to children and their families across the United States.

The 10,000th grant was received by a Jacksonville, Fla., family who used the grant to help pay for updated hearing aids for their 5-year-old twin boys. The boys, Cole and Jake, were diagnosed with hearing loss at just over a year old, and have been wearing hearing aids ever since.

“We were thrilled to hear that we received not just one grant from the UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation, but one grant for each of the twins. The grants have enabled us to purchase hearing aids with more updated technology, and we are already seeing the boys respond to sounds they weren’t hearing previously. We can’t wait to watch as they continue to enjoy the activities they love so much – soccer, the beach, playing with their older brother – but with better access to the sounds around them,” said parents Peggy and Eric Tattersall.

To support UnitedHealthcare’s mission of helping people live healthier lives and to commemorate the 10,000 UHCCF grant milestone, the foundation plans a year-long awareness campaign to help spread the word about its medical grant program so more families can apply and receive grants.

UnitedHealthcare employees are kicking off the campaign by delivering 10,000 children’s joke books this month to youth-based community organizations and children’s health centers in 25 cities across the country. The “Little Book – Big Laughs Joke Book” was published by UHCCF and brings giggles and grins to children young and old. UnitedHealthcare employees are also delivering child reading stations, Oliver & Hope™ story books, Grins to Go™ child activity bags and other donations to community-based organizations and health care facilities across the country to help make a child’s day a little brighter and to encourage reading among kids. 

“Our mission every day is to help improve a child’s quality of life and help families gain access to the care they need. It has been a privilege to meet so many wonderful families. Ten-thousand grants is a good start, but we’re just beginning. We’re looking to help thousands’ more children and families next year and beyond,” said UHCCF President Matt Peterson.

Parents or legal guardians may apply for grants at www.UHCCF.org, and there is no application deadline. Grants are typically used to help pay for medical services and equipment such as physical, occupational and speech therapy, counseling services, surgeries, prescriptions, wheelchairs, orthotics, eyeglasses and hearing aids.

About UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation
The UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides medical grants to help children gain access to health-related services not covered, or not fully covered, by their parents’ commercial health insurance plan. Families can receive up to $5,000 annually per child ($10,000 lifetime maximum per child), and do not need to have insurance through UnitedHealthcare to be eligible. UHCCF was founded in 1999. Since 2007, UHCCF has awarded 10,000 grants valued at over $28 million to children and their families across the United States. UHCCF’s funding is provided by contributions from individuals, corporations and UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) employees. To apply for a grant, donate or learn more, please visit www.UHCCF.org .