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Our Work in Health &
Basic Needs    

 

 Increase by 1/3 the Number of Youth and Adults Who Are Healthy and
Avoid Risky Behaviors -

Achieving this goal requires us all to  become more aware of health risks and the potential effects they have on ourselves and others, starting from before birth. Working to change policies and practices, such as by extending health care coverage, will also enable more people to live healthier lives.

United Way views gaps in basic need services as a serious problem that severely affects our community. Without access to basic need services, individuals and families are unable to break free from the cycle of dependency and poverty to achieve their full potential.

Strategic Approaches:

Food: Investments go to programs that help individuals and families achieve proper nutrition and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Housing / Shelter: Investments go to programs that help individuals and families secure and maintain safe, adequate and affordable housing.

Medical Care: Investments go to programs that help individuals and families become mentally and physically healthy. Covering California's Children with affordable care
 

Emergency Services: Investments go to programs that provide services to individuals and families finding themselves in crisis situations.
More on emergency service programs.

 

To print your Free Discount Prescription Card -
Click Here

The Coast2Coast Rx Card is a free discount prescription card provided to residents of Santa Barbara County. 

Savings on a single prescription range from a few percent up to 95% off the retail price of the drug. Cardholders save on both brand name and generic drugs.  All members of a family can use the card.  It is always FREE and the card can be used immediately.  There are no age, income or other exclusions. There are no forms to fill out.  Simply take the card to one of the 59,000+ participating pharmacies to start saving today.

Cardholders and their families can save up to 60% on their dental needs; an average of 10% to 50% on their vision needs and 35% on their hearing needs.

For dental information, CLICK HERE;
For vision information, CLICK HERE; and
For hearing information, CLICK HERE.

Cardholders can also save on their diabetes supplies. 
CLICK HERE for more information.

Cardholders also save 50% to 80% on lab and imaging tests.
For Lab information, CLICK HERE;
For Imaging information, CLICK HERE

To print your Free Discount Prescription Card - Click Here

Free: There are no fees to pay for this card - EVER!

   Savings Up to 65%: Save on both brand name & generic drugs

 No Limits on Usage: There are no termination dates or usage limits - so the card can be used as often as needed

Convenience: The card is pre-activated and ready to use at any of the 59,000+ participating pharmacies. Just take the card into a participating pharmacy the next time you need to fill a prescription. You don't have to pre-register the card prior to going to the pharmacy. The pharmacist will enter your information when you present the card to get your first prescription filled. Every major pharmacy chain honors the card as well as most independent pharmacies. For a list of the participating pharmacies in the area you live - or you're traveling - CLICK HERE.

      To search for the retail price of your prescriptions CLICK HERE. 

Note: this is normally the highest price - not the discounted price you'll pay for a prescription at a participating network pharmacy. So the best way to get pricing for your prescription is to go to your participating network pharmacy.

Everyone Qualifies: There are no restrictions of any type - everyone can use the card.

Entire Family Can Use: One card covers your entire family. You can, however, print additional cards for each member of your family if you so desire. You can also print additional cards for friends, neighbors, co-workers or relatives who don't have a prescription plan or who have high deductible health plans.

To print your Free Discount Prescription Card - Click Here
 

 

Health is strongly linked to education and income:

Good health allows children to learn better and adults to increase their income through productive work. Conversely, health problems often lead to increased school absences (a predictor of dropping out of high school) among children, as well as increased on the- job absences by adults.

To further connect the dots, entry level and lower paying jobs are often without health benefits. A lack of health care coverage often means that primary care—so important to preventing or treating illness before it becomes more serious—is an unattainable luxury. A serious illness with no or insufficient health insurance has driven thousands of Americans into financial crisis. Fifty percent of bankruptcies in 2005 and 2006 were caused by medical debt.

Key markers contribute to a healthy progression through life: a normal birthweight, preventive health care beginning in earliest childhood, and avoiding risky behaviors and staying healthy as a youth and adult.

Maternal health and infant well-being start children off in the right direction. It is ironic that underweight babies are a concern when America is simultaneously worried about obesity among children and adults, but low birthweight (5 pounds, 8 ounces or less) can lead to developmental problems later in life.

The number of babies born at a low birthweight increased over the last 10 years, to 8.2 percent, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. That’s 1 in 12 babies. Among the many causes of low birthweight—pregnant women’s poor nutrition, teen pregnancies, smoking and substance use, and lack of prenatal care—are preventable factors that can be addressed at the community level.

Health care coverage for children means they are more likely to receive preventive health care (such as immunizations, physicals and nonemergency treatment).

Those with health insurance are more likely to receive regular care. The percentage of children with health coverage has increased slightly, but data from the Current Population Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau show that almost 12 percent (one in eight) of America’s children remain without such insurance coverage.

The health of America’s youth and adults is also a serious concern. In looking at data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just over one-third of youth in grades 9 to 12 and one-third of adults can be considered healthy, with the percentage stagnating for youth and worsening for adults when compared to a decade ago. For this reason, boosting the number of healthy youth and adults is our third goal for advancing the common good.