The TaylorMade Driving Relief charity golf match, supported by UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), raised more than $5.5 million for COVID-19 relief efforts, led by UnitedHealth Group’s $3 million contribution to benefit the American Nurses Foundation and CDC Foundation, two organizations helping to lead COVID-19 relief efforts.
The May 17 charity skins match was the first televised golf event since the peak of the COVID-19 public health crisis. The event pitted World No. 1 ranked golfer and UnitedHealth Group Health Ambassador Rory McIlroy and 20-time PGA Tour winner Dustin Johnson against 2015 Players Champion Rickie Fowler and 2019 first-time PGA Tour winner Matthew Wolff. McIlroy and Johnson represented the American Nurses Foundation while Fowler and Wolff played for the CDC Foundation.
McIlroy and Johnson won the match when McIlroy made a $1.1 million shot on the final hole, raising a total of $1.85 million for the American Nurses Foundation. Fowler and Wolff brought in $1.15 million for the CDC foundation.
“The support we received from UnitedHealth Group, Rory McIlroy and the PGA Tour is invaluable,” said Kate Judge, executive director of the American Nurses Foundation. “These resources will help support the mental well-being and clinical needs of nurses as we strive to create a healthy world through the power of nursing – even during this global pandemic.”
"COVID-19 is a tremendous challenge. Though progress is being made, much work remains to be done," said Judy Monroe, MD, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. "Special thanks to UnitedHealth Group for their generous support and to all four professional golfers, particularly Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff who represented the CDC Foundation, for making an incredible difference in the battle against COVID-19."
Supporting the TaylorMade Driving Relief charity golf event is the latest UnitedHealth Group effort to combat COVID-19 and support impacted communities. Other initiatives to date include:
- Providing $1.5 billion in direct customer and consumer support through premium credits, cost-sharing waivers and other efforts.
- Accelerating payments to providers throughout the crisis, with an initial tranche of nearly $2 billion.
- Waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing and treatment for U.S. members of UnitedHealthcare plans and simplifying access to care by reducing prior-authorization requirements.
- Pioneering self-administered swab procedures to expand COVID-19 testing, reduce needed personal protective equipment and protect health care workers from unnecessary exposure to COVID-19.
- Supporting the Mayo Clinic’s groundbreaking research into the therapeutic potential of using plasma from COVID-19 survivors.
- Deploying 3,000 “light ventilators” to address critical shortages in the nation’s supply of ventilators.
- Significantly expanding access to telehealth and virtual visits and redeploying 10,000 Optum clinicians to expand telehealth capabilities.
- Providing a special enrollment period for fully insured customers to allow employees who did not opt in for coverage during the regular enrollment period to secure coverage.
- Conducting proactive personal outreach to support seniors and the most vulnerable populations among our members.
- Launching a free nationwide emotional support line to manage the stress and anxiety caused by COVID-19.
- Investing nearly $75 million to help at-risk populations, support communities and protect the health care workforce.
- Converting company cafeterias to provide more than 75,000 meals a week for people in need and keep our cafe team at work.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and helping to make the health system work better for everyone. UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. For more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on Twitter.
About CDC Foundation
The CDC Foundation is an independent nonprofit and the sole entity created by Congress to mobilize philanthropic and private-sector resources to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s critical health protection work. The CDC Foundation helps CDC do more, faster by forging partnerships between CDC and others to fight threats to health and safety.
About American Nurses Foundation
As the philanthropic arm of the American Nurses Association, the vision of the American Nurses Foundation is to achieve a healthy world through the power of nursing. With the future of health care changing so dramatically, nurses can revolutionize the approach to care for the better.
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