NCOA Awarded Grant from the Anthem Foundation to Bring Aging Mastery® to Thousands of Older Adults

Grant will expand access to program in new and underserved neighborhoods

Arlington, VA – Approximately 3.7 million teens graduated from high school last year, having spent 12 years in school, clubs, and teams learning lessons to help them navigate adulthood. In the same year, an equal number of Americans graduated into retirement without any education on how to successfully transition into this new stage of life.

People turning 65 today can expect to live another 20-30 years. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) created Aging Mastery to educate people about what to expect during those years and how to make small changes that can have lasting effects on their long-term health and economic security. It provides the knowledge, motivation, and inspiration to make positive choices.

The Anthem Foundation and NCOA share a common goal of improving the health and well-being of people in the communities they serve. Nearly 8,000 older adults will be able to participate in Aging Mastery at no cost with the support of a 2-year, $4 million grant from the Anthem Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc. This collaboration with the Anthem Foundation expands this proven educational program to new and underserved communities in Connecticut, California, Indiana, Ohio, and Texas.

“Anthem is committed to building a better health care future for Americans of all ages,” said Marc Russo, president of Anthem’s Medicare business. “Aging Mastery is a great example of the innovative programs supported by the Anthem Foundation. The grant builds on our commitment to improve the health of older adults as demonstrated through programs like this one. By effectively equipping participants with important tools and resources, they are empowered to lead healthier lives.”

Carita, a 68-year-old former school teacher who took an Aging Mastery workshop in Texas, shared: “I’ve learned it’s the small changes I make in my life that end up producing big results. Aging Mastery gave me the tools to thrive in my aging process, not just exist. I’ve made improvements in eating habits and exercise that have helped improve my diabetes and reduce my medications. I feel much better about making the years I have left count.”

People can experience Aging Mastery in a classroom setting or with a self-directed Aging Mastery Starter Kit delivered directly to their door. NCOA has built a network of community-based organizations and senior centers offering Aging Mastery in more than 250 locations. More than 11,000 people have graduated from the classroom Aging Mastery Program and more than 2,500 people have tried the Aging Mastery Starter Kit.

“Aging Mastery has been a success because it’s enjoyable and practical for older adults—and because we have great partners dedicated to improving lives in their community,” said James Firman, president and CEO of NCOA. “With the Anthem Foundation’s support, thousands more older adults will be empowered to create their own playbook for aging well.”

NCOA is the national voice for every person’s right to age with their best possible health and economic security. NCOA’s trusted, proven solutions empower individuals to improve their daily lives, and it protects and strengthens federal programs that people depend on as they age. With the Anthem Foundation’s support of strategic initiatives like Aging Mastery, NCOA can continue to create innovative solutions for everyone to age well.

For more information about Aging Mastery, go to ncoa.org/AMP.

About Anthem Foundation

The Anthem Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc. and through charitable contributions and programs, the Foundation promotes the inherent commitment of Anthem, Inc. to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that Anthem, Inc. and its affiliated health plans serve. The Foundation focuses its funding on strategic initiatives that address and provide innovative solutions to health care challenges, as well as promoting the Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative that targets specific disease states and medical conditions. These disease states and medical conditions include: prenatal care in the first trimester, low birth weight babies, cardiac morbidity rates, long term activities that decrease obesity and increase physical activity, diabetes prevalence in adult populations, adult pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations and smoking cessation. The Foundation also coordinates the company’s year-round Associate Giving program which provides a 50 percent match of associates’ pledges, as well as its Volunteer Time Off and Dollars for Doers community service programs. To learn more about the Anthem Foundation, please visit http://www.anthem.foundation and its blog at https://medium.com/anthemfoundation.

About the National Council on Aging (NCOA)

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is the national voice for every person’s right to age well. NCOA empowers individuals with trusted solutions to improve their own health and economic security—and protects and strengthens federal programs that people depend on as they age. Working with a nationwide network of partners and directly with older adults, NCOA’s goal is to improve the lives of 10 million older adults by 2020. Learn more at ncoa.org and @NCOAging.

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