Member care is personal. It’s built around relationships, requires patience and a kind ear, and thrives on empathy.
Cynthia Finelli, a MarketPoint sales representative serving Indiana, Illinois and Michigan, lives those values. So when a Humana member, a disabled veteran, called to say she was about to be homeless, Cynthia knew she had to help.
Diana, who served in the Army, has Medicare, Medicaid and a Humana Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (DSNP). Diana has no car, and most of the money she receives from her Social Security Disability Insurance goes toward rent. Still, she had lived in her building for more than 20 years and never missed a rent payment.
But in February 2021, she fell in her building’s parking lot, which hadn’t been fully cleared of snow and ice. Diana was injured and had to wear an air cast for several months to allow her leg and foot to heal. Humana continued to pay her medical bills, but she struggled with her other expenses. Sadly, Diana was evicted. She and her therapy dog, Winston, faced homelessness.
That’s when Cynthia stepped in to help. She reached out to Aaron McCoy, an Army veteran and Regional Veteran Executive for Humana, to see if he knew of veterans’ organizations that might help with housing or other support.
Aaron contacted the County Veteran Service Officer for Porter County, Indiana, who talked about a new veteran housing program in Hobart, Indiana. These apartments are brand new, fully furnished units with a computer room, an exercise room, handicap accessibility, and onsite supportive VA services. They’re also close to shopping and transportation.
Cynthia passed that information to Diana, who applied and was accepted into a new home with services and amenities she’d never had before. She’s happy and grateful, telling Cynthia, “The work that you do at Humana makes a difference.”
he two have shared a bond ever since they met, after Cynthia met one of Diana’s friends while Cynthia was working at a local food pantry.
Asked why Diana came to her for help, Cynthia said, “The simple answer is trust. I met her in person at her apartment to go over the DSNP plan and sign her up, and we made a personal connection. Diana called me for this issue because I had helped her over time with Humana questions: ‘I received a medical bill, should I pay it? Can you look up physical therapists? Where can I use my food card?’ Diana has very few resources – no computer, no car, no credit history – and was at a loss as to how she was supposed to find a new home and who would accept someone in her situation.”
Cynthia added, “I am very happy that I was able to be part of this success story. In turn, I am thankful to Aaron McCoy for contacting the people who could help and providing the information that ultimately led to our Humana client having a wonderful new home.”
Together, this team challenged the status quo, spoke up for this member, and worked together to find a better way.