Cigna
and New York Life have put in $50 million, and they want your help, too.
The Cigna Foundation and the New York Life
Foundation have started a new fund, the Brave of Heart Fund, that will support
the survivors of men and women who die fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fund will provide monetary grants for the
families of doctors, nurses, technicians, orderlies, cafeteria workers,
custodians, volunteers, and others who lose their lives while working to
protect others against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
(SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19 pneumonia, heart problems and
kidney problems.
The Cigna Foundation and the New York Life
Foundation are each making $25 million in startup contributions.
The New York Life Foundation has agreed to
match the first $25 million in individual contributions received, the
foundations say.
Cigna and New York Life says they the fund
will raise at least $100 million.
The companies’ foundations have
picked E4E Relief, a provider of charitable employee relief funds, to
administer the fund.
The fund will begin accepting applications in
May.
The fund will start by providing $15,000
grants, to help families with immediate expenses. Families can also apply
for up to $60,000 in additional support.
Families can use the grants to pay for
medical care and counseling, housing, food, transportation, education, and
other needs.
Cigna and New York Life say Cigna will also
provide emotional support services for the families.
David Cordani, president of Cigna, said in a
statement that his company is proud to partner with New York Life to support
the families of the nation’s health care workers and volunteers.
Ted Mathas, New York Life’s chairman said
tough times reveal true heroes.
“The heroes today are not only the courageous
and selfless frontline health care workers and volunteers who, without
hesitation and without question, have put themselves in harm’s way to help
those who desperately need it, but also their families who are living with the
anxiety and fear of what may happen to their loved ones in the days ahead,”
Mathas said.
Allison Bell, ThinkAdvisor's insurance editor, previously
was LifeHealthPro's health insurance editor. She has a bachelor's degree in
economics from Washington University in St. Louis and a master's degree in
journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She
can be reached at abell@alm.com or on Twitter at @Think_Allison.
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