General News
Published October 7, 2019
Premera, along with three other funders in Anchorage, pledged $40 million toward creating solutions for homelessness in Alaska. The other funders are Rasmuson Foundation, Providence Health & Services Alaska, and Weidner Apartment Homes.
Lynn Rust Henderson, vice president, Alaska Group Market for Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska, recently spoke at a press conference on why this issue is a priority. “Homelessness is a health crisis. When we can get people off the streets, we can increase their life expectancy dramatically,” said Lynn. “We can also reduce the overall cost of healthcare by decreasing the reliance on emergency healthcare services.”
Lynn previously shed light on the homelessness in her hometown of Anchorage when she participated in a "sleep-out" last year to experience what homeless youth on the streets of Alaska go through.
The four funders and their commitments are:
- Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska, $5 million over three years
- Providence Health & Services Alaska, $15 million over five years
- Rasmuson Foundation, $10 million over three years
- Weidner Apartment Homes, $10 million over five years
Read the full press release.