PROGRESS

Contributed to the Central Indiana Racial Equity Fund in support of organizations focused on having difficult conversations about Indiana's and the nation's complicated past and address issues of inequality.

Joined the UN Global Compact (UNGC), the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative to align with universal principles on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption, and take actions that advance societal roles.

Actively participate in the Business Roundtable Special Task Force on Racial Equity and Justice to develop policy and advocacy priorities related to health disparities and equity.

Established and chair Business Equity for Indy Committee subcommittee focused on addressing health disparities facing minority and under served communities.

Elevance Health pledged $50 million over the next five years to address racial injustice and health inequities across the country, starting with our home state of Indiana.

• Over the past two years, we’ve implemented more than 50 programs impacting our Elevance Health health plan members, associates, and communities, with areas of focus including maternal health, food as medicine, substance use disorder, and vaccines (COVID-19, flu, and childhood immunizations).

• In 2021, Elevance Health Foundation completed a strategic refresh to ensure our work is advancing health equity for socially vulnerable populations around four focus areas: Maternal Health; Food As Medicine; Substance Use Disorder and Disaster Relief. To date, we’ve awarded:

• $16.8M in grants focused on creating equity in maternal healthcare including racial disparities and biases.

• In Central Indiana, this includes: Creating Healthier Communities for the Black Birthing Initiative which aims to bring to market a novel point-of-care tool that will screen pregnant Black women for stress and social drivers of health that are predictors of preterm birth.

• $22.8M in food as medicine grants that promote equal access to nutritious food as a way to improve health outcomes.

• In Central Indiana, this includes: Center for ellness for Urban Women for the Sisters Together: Move More, Eat Better program that will provide needed social support, opportunities for advocacy in the face of medical racism and inequities which is at the heart of most health disparities.

• $13.7M in grants that address an array of care and service to reduce substance use disorder.

• In Central Indiana, this includes: Overdose Lifeline for the MOMs project, housed in ODL women’s recovery house women in recovery from SUD will receive support through education, skill building, and social support.

As the COVID-19 vaccines rolled out across the country, we demonstrated leadership to help ensure access equitable access to vaccinations:

• Joining Lyft and other leading partners to ensure our nation’s most vulnerable consumers had the opportunity to receive the vaccine. Through our partnership, we anticipate there to be over 60 million rides to and from vaccination sites for low-income, uninsured, and at-risk communities.

• Collaborated with the American Lung Association and The Center for Black Health & Equity on a science-based guide on how to make a well-informed decision about the COVID-19 vaccine.

• Working with our peers in the health insurance industry on “Vaccine Community Connectors,” which aims to vaccinate one million older adults in America’s underserved communities – specifically communities of color.

• Partnering with hospitals and community-based organization to hold vaccination drives in cities throughout the country.

Launched a partnership with four WNBA basketball teams to make an impact on key communities, with a focus on food insecurity, mental health, health disparities, and racial and social justice. The overall goal is to address long-standing racial and health inequities facing communities by partnering with leading organizations across the country A critical element of this partnership, and so many others, is the ability to work collaboratively in identifying innovative ways that will have a long-lasting impact on improving community health.

For example, the work we have been doing with the Indiana Fever across the state includes:

• The “Athlete to Advocate” professional executive certificate program, developed by Indiana University and designed to prepare athletes to raise social awareness of the causes they support, advance solutions, and enhance their philanthropic activities and advocacy through their platform as professional athletes.

• The “Anthem Assists” award, which serves as one of the premier community outreach programs for the Fever and honors individuals throughout the state of Indiana who have made an overwhelming impact in the lives of others by advocating for equity and inclusion in education, health and wellness, female empowerment, and corporate citizenship.

Elevance Health has teamed up with iHeart Media to help schools across the country expand their access to nutritious foods as a way to improve health by creating customized solutions like learning gardens, food pantries and teaching kitchens to provide practical, sustainable resources that will help schools in their nutrition efforts. Working with Heart of America the companies renovated food access spaces in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Indianapolis and New York City schools.

• In Indianapolis, the partners created a new food pantry and produce garden at Brookside School 54 — an IPS K-6 school — providing a permanent resource for students and families to access and grow healthy food. Recurring food distributions are also part of the ongoing collaboration.

Elevance Health supports the “All of Us” Research Program to further progress on our health equity journey. By joining this program as a research partner, participants will contribute to life-saving knowledge and help our future generations live healthier lives.

PROGRESS

Our commitment to Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI) is vital to improving health and makes us a stronger organization and community partner. Each associate brings a unique perspective, background, and life experience that enriches our overall associate experience and helps us better respond to the needs of customers and communities. Their insights also help ensure we offer solutions that are culturally and socially relevant.

We continue to embed DEI into the business to create impactful and lasting change by “delivering on the core.” This comprises three strategic initiatives: strengthening the DEI governance and champions to engage all levels of our business; building an undeniable awareness around DEI that empowers a diverse workforce to thrive; and equipping leaders with the tools and resources to foster an environment of inclusive leadership.

Our growing network of BRGs (Business Resource Groups) represents and supports the diverse communities where we work and live. In 2021, we shifted from calling these groups “Associate Resource Groups” to “Business Resource Groups” to better reflect the role they play in mobilizing our business priorities. Our nine BRGs are led by associates, open to all and offer the 11,000 associates who are members of at least one group opportunities to network, connect, and collaborate with their colleagues, develop, and enhance their leadership skills, give back to their community, maximize our impact on social justice, and embody our culture.

Over the past twelve months, our BRGs have become confident advocates for our DEI framework’s strategic priorities. They have given associates at all levels of our company a voice, helping us authentically integrate our diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies into our business practices, provide learning and networking opportunities that help us grow, and think in different ways.

To grow our early career pipeline of leaders, in December 2020, Elevance Health formed a partnership with Jopwell, a career advancement platform for Black, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native students and professionals, to assist in accelerating Elevance Health’s presence and recruiting efforts at scale, specifically on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions. Elevance Health actively recruits from key Indiana-based schools such as Purdue University and Indiana University.

We’ve engaged with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund to support Historically Black colleges and universities.

In addition, to strengthen our commitment to identifying diverse talent, this year, Elevance Health has engaged and is an exhibitor at the 2022 Conferences & Career Expos for the National Black MBA Association and Prospanica, the Association of Hispanic MBAs.

In 2022, Elevance Health continued to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion work to life:

• As social unrest challenged our nation in 2021 and 2022, more than 7,000 associates took part in the Leading and Listening and Allyship sessions we held to help associates to engage with one another, encourage deeper understanding, and promote our shared value of diversity.

• We launched inclusive recruiting practices for all positions at the director level and above. We incorporate steps during the selection process to help attract, select, and engage high-performing talent with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We outpace several competitors, as it relates to the representation of women and people of color in executive and middle management level roles.

• We are honored by the recognition we have received as we work to improve the health of our communities. A variety of leading organizations have recognized our DEI efforts, including the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Forbes America’s Best Employers for Diversity, Disability Equality Index® (DEI®) Best Places to Work™, Seramount’s Best Companies for Multicultural Women and Fortune Best Workplaces for Women.

Our focus continues to be on expanding talent and leadership development opportunities that are accessible to all associates, with special emphasis on increasing the diversity of our talent pipeline. This includes:

• In 2021, we launched mentoring programs with 200+ leaders and associates participating from our Business Resources Groups and across the organization. Then in August 2022, we launched the Career Hub, a new career and development planning tool that gives everyone at Elevance Health the opportunity to form mentoring relationships with other associates.

• Advancing career planning and growth through the Career Navigator program. In 2021, 38% of participants that created Career Development Plans were PoC and 76% were women. With the launch of enhanced technology, this number is expected to increase and now includes individualized recommendations for learning, job interests, special projects, and much more.

• Expanded DEI leadership development programs focused on retaining and advancing diverse talent, especially for managers in underrepresented groups. From the onset in 2021, on track to reach over 230 PoC managers and directors by end of 2022.

• June 2020 - Expanded our associate giving opportunities by providing a 1:1 match for their contributions to the following organizations: National Urban League, United Negro College Fund (UNCF), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), Race Forward, and United Way. And, through our Dollars for Doers Program associates are able to raise additional funds for a nonprofit of their choice.

• Elevance Health continues its partnership with Lions Clubs International, the largest service club organization in the world, to coordinate our annual Elevance Health Volunteer Days. Across the nation, in 2022 we planned 100 hunger-relief events – alongside a virtual food drive opportunity – which will bring hundreds of thousands of meals to those in need. Our efforts have include everything from work at community gardens and food pantries, to transforming our office parking lots into mobile distribution centers staffed by Elevance Health volunteers.

• Provided education through Safe Space Allyship about how to be an active ally and interact with individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ in a thoughtful, respectful, and caring way.

• Established the Elevance Health Medical Associate Volunteer Program for associates with professional medical training to volunteer in their local community. The program allows eligible associates to relieve medical staff in hospitals and other care settings across the country by taking up to 80 hours of paid leave from their regular Elevance Health role to use their medical expertise and training to deliver necessary care and services.

• Elevance Health affiliated health plans partner with states to fund Health Equity Scholarships to students of color who are committed to serving as healthcare practitioners in historically marginalized areas of their states for a minimum of two to three years. The program builds a pipeline of diverse talent in the healthcare workforce.

• Elevance Health is building out its diverse sourcing capabilities and partnerships, participating in key conferences and career events like the National Black MBA Association Conference and Career Expo, Black Virtual Career Fair, and Dice Diversity in Tech Career Fair as well as others like Prospanica and Ascend to connect, network, and recruit top diverse talent.