Partnering for Health: Potential Postal Service Roles in Health and Wellness
March 11, 2021 (RISC-WP-21-001)
- There are numerous gaps in the health and wellness services made available to Americans, a problem made more critical as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Several potential partnership opportunities would allow the Postal Service to help play a larger role in bringing health services to underserved areas in the U.S.
Throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, access to healthcare is more important than ever before — yet many Americans find themselves lacking it. The pandemic has placed unprecedented strains on the healthcare system. Many people are either unaware of available heath care services or are unable to access them. With a physical presence in nearly every community in the country, the U.S. Postal Service is uniquely situated to play a larger role in helping bring healthcare to those Americans who are currently unserved or underserved.
The OIG found several potential partnership opportunities that would allow the Postal Service to play a role in health and wellness. These include assisting in the recovery from current or future national health emergencies, disseminating information about available healthcare services, and helping facilitate access to those services. Such initiatives would prove extremely valuable to the nation.
Priscilla Lee, Joanna Wu-Gerhardt, David Neu, Jeff Colvin, Emily Bowen, and Christopher Backley contributed to this report.