Community First Health Plans, Inc. (Community First) was established in 1995 to provide health care coverage to citizens of the Bexar and its seven surrounding counties. As the locally owned non-profit health plan in the area, our commitment to our members is to provide great health care benefits backed by outstanding service, delivered by people to live right here in South Texas. Our goal is to help San Antonio and surrounding areas achieve more successful health outcomes by putting community first. Community First operates at a grass-roots level, interacting with key community organizations to help identify and provide information to help families obtain the health care coverage they need. All dollars received in our revenue stream are funneled directly back into the community to help our organization continue its mission of providing access to quality health care and supporting the unique needs of our diverse community who face challenges related to social determinants of health (SDOH) including but not limited to, access to nutritious food, affordable and accessible housing, convenient and efficient transportation, safe neighborhoods, strong social connections, quality education and opportunities for meaningful employment. There is a growing amount of evidence that indicates that these challenges can lead to poorer health outcomes for members and higher health care costs and can exacerbate health disparities for a broad range of populations, including individuals with disabilities, older adults, pregnant and postpartum women and infants, children and youth, etc. Examples of adverse health outcomes linked to social and economic factors include the following: asthma attributed to certain home environments; diabetes induced hospital admissions related to food insecurity; frequent use of the emergency department due to homelessness; and a risk of stress-related illness resulting from unemployment, among many others. Community First has found that health care is more than just a doctors' visit, with deliberate intent to make our communities and those living in it healthier, there is a strong focus on four SODH which include Housing, Education, Food Security and Transportation.
