WellCare Gives $5,000 to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to Support Efforts to Find a Cure and New Treatments

TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On behalf of WellCare of Florida, WellCare Health Plans' WCG Community Foundation gave $5,000 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) to support the 2016 JDRF One Walk Tampa effort.

"A significant number of WellCare members are affected by diabetes, as well as our employees, friends and family members," said Gregg MacDonald, state president for WellCare of Florida. "We are committed to supporting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and their efforts to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes."

The JDRF One Walk Tampa will be held at Amelia Arena on April 2, 2016. Its goal is to change the future for those living with Type 1 diabetes by raising money for research to cure, prevent and treat the disease as well as its complications. JDRF supported research has led to breakthroughs such as artificial pancreas systems and encapsulated beta cell therapies, both of which have moved into clinical trials. Consider these facts:

• An estimated 29 million Americans have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Type 1 diabetes, which happens when the body doesn't produce enough insulin, can develop at any age but most often affects young people.
• Children with Type 1 diabetes have a high risk of developing hypoglycemia, a potentially deadly complication associated with diabetes treatment.
• Annual health care costs attributed to diabetes in the United States, according to the CDC: $176 billion.

"On behalf of everyone living with Type 1 diabetes, JDRF is thrilled to have WellCare as a sponsor of our 2016 JDRF One Walk," said Carolyn Boos, executive director of the JDRF's Tampa Bay Chapter. "Every year JDFR One Walk events bring more than 900,000 people together to raise funds for research to bring us closer to a cure and the support of community partners like WellCare is crucial to our success."

The JDRF One Walk Tampa is one of more than 200 events the organization hosts across the country. To get involved in the walk or for more information about JDRF, visit www.jdrf.org.

As of Sept. 30, 2015, WellCare serves approximately 787,000 Medicaid members, 65,000 Florida Healthy Kids members, 108,000 Medicare Advantage members and 40,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members in Florida.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. WCG focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. The Company serves approximately 3.8 million members nationwide as of Sept. 30, 2015. For more information about WellCare, please visit the Company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.

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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.