The Special Skills Sports Camps Receive $400,000 Contribution from Ohio’s Medicaid Managed Care Plans
The Special Skills Sports Camps Receive $400,000 Contribution from Ohio’s Medicaid Managed Care Plans
Gift enables camps to continue providing free entry for individuals with special needs
(Columbus, OH) – The Special Skills Sports Camps Founder and President Steve Weaver along with Ohio’s Medicaid managed care organizations (MCO) today announced a two-year partnership that will empower individuals with special needs to improve their overall health and well-being through sports. The MCOs joined together to contribute $400,000 to sustain the organization’s camp structure, generate new health and fitness programming, and allow the camp to expand into more Ohio counties.
Hosted at collegiate or professional facilities, The Special Skills Sports Camps are sports fantasy camps whose instructors include current and former collegiate and professional athletes, and fitness professionals — creating an unforgettable sporting experience. The organization’s mission is to offer these camps free of charge to all participants.
“The majority of our participants have socio-economic challenges, which is why we provide our camps for free,” says Steve Weaver. “We sincerely thank Ohio Medicaid managed care organizations for this gift that allows us to continue doing that, and we look forward to collaborating on new and exciting projects that will further increase our impact on the community.”
Individuals with special needs often lack opportunities to participate in sports camps due to physical, social and/or economic barriers.[1] The organization aims to overcome that by teaching participants fundamental skills in a variety of sports that help them feel empowered and confident in their athletic abilities.
“Our vision is to transform the health of the community, one person at a time. This partnership provides us with another way to do that,” says Steve Province, President and CEO of Buckeye Health Plan. “On behalf of all the Ohio Medicaid Managed Care Organizations, we are thrilled to come together to contribute this gift that will impact the lives of sports camp participants in a way that boosts their confidence, self-worth and overall health and well-being. We couldn’t be more honored to partner with this amazing organization.”
Ohio’s participating Medicaid managed care plans include Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Buckeye Health Plan, CareSource, Molina HealthCare of Ohio and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan.
“When individuals get involved in sports, their emotional and psychological wellbeing improves, they do better in school, and they learn how to build relationships with teammates, coaches and competitors – all while having fun,” said Ohio Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran. “The MCOs’ collective investment in The Special Skills Sports Camps will open the door to new social and developmental opportunities for people with special needs we serve.”
About The Special Sports Skills Camp (specialskillssports.com)
The Special Skills Sports Camps aim to transform the lives of individuals with special needs by providing sports fantasy camp experiences that rival that of their peers. The camps are held at collegiate or professional facilities and challenge participants to achieve their utmost potential. They are provided free to all participants to ensure socio-economic challenges are not a barrier. The Special Skills Sports Camps have served individuals from 88 organizations within Ohio since 2013.
About Ohio Association of Health Plans
OAHP is the voice for Ohio’s health insurance industry. Its core mission is to advocate for access to high-quality, affordable health care for all Ohioans. OAHP’s health plan members provide health care coverage to more than nine million Ohioans through private, commercial insurance, as well as their partnership in public programs. Funding for this project was earned through the collective quality work of the Medicaid plans. In partnership with the Ohio Department of Medicaid, Ohio’s Medicaid managed care plans serve 3.4 million Ohioans.
[1] American Psychological Association