Harlem’s Mark Levine And Others Support NYC’s Commitment To Guarantee Health Care For All

MetroPlus Health, the health insurance plan preferred by more than 500,000 New Yorkers, today announced partnerships with the NYC Department of Probation and the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS).

The partnerships provide New Yorkers who interact with the two agencies information about its affordable health insurance plan and encourage them to enroll. Starting this month, MetroPlus will deploy over two-dozen enrollment specialists to do on-site outreach, education and enrollment at six Probation offices and 18 new SBS Workforce 1 and Business Solution Career Centers. These government agency offices serve nearly 55,000 New Yorkers every year. This new collaboration between the city’s public option health plan and city agencies supports the Executive Order signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in January requiring city agencies to enroll people in insurance anywhere where New Yorkers are directly served.

The new strategic partnerships with city agencies is one more way in which MetroPlus is redeploying resources to support New York City’s commitment to guarantee health care to all New Yorkers. The five-star health plan is the low-cost, high-quality health insurance plan of the NYC Health + Hospitals and growing its membership is part of the public health system’s comprehensive, multi-year redesign to build a competitive, sustainable organization that will continue to offer high-quality and accessible health care to the people of New York City.

“Throughout our nearly 35-year history, MetroPlus has been committed to increasing access to affordable, quality health insurance to all New Yorkers,” said Roger Milliner, Chief Growth Officer of MetroPlus. “We are excited to step up our traditional marketing and outreach efforts by partnering with these two city agencies who share our commitment to connect more New Yorkers to affordable health insurance and the quality health care services available to them through MetroPlus.”

“The wellness of people on probation is an agency priority, and health care access has long been a staple within our Neighborhood Opportunity Network, community-based (NeON) offices,” said NYC Probation Commissioner Ana M. Bermúdez Esq. “We are excited to continue this work as part of the Mayor’s ‘Health Care for All’ initiative.”

“Under Mayor de Blasio’s leadership, New Yorkers can now easily access affordable healthcare options through companies like MetroPlus while receiving no-cost supportive services at our NYC Business Solutions Centers and Workforce1 Career Centers,” said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “By making affordable healthcare more accessible to New York City’s small business owners and jobseekers, we’re helping to create a healthier economy.”

“Health insurance is a basic need which too many New Yorkers are living without. This partnership will undoubtedly increase enrollment in some of our most vulnerable communities and is a great step forward in improving overall health outcomes in the five boroughs,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. “I thank MetroPlus for their support of this important initiative and the NYC Department of Probation and the NYC Department of Small Business Services for facilitating these outreach efforts.”

“This new collaboration between the city’s public option health plan and city agencies will foster greater enrollment at the places where New Yorkers are already receiving City services. I’m grateful to the administration and Health and Hospitals for taking on this initiative, and look forward to seeing its positive results in the months to come.”

“Ensuring New Yorkers are enrolled in Health Insurance is imperative to keeping New Yorkers health,” said Harlem, New York City Council Health Committee Chair Mark Levine. “This new collaboration between the city’s public option health plan and city agencies will foster greater enrollment at the places where New Yorkers are already receiving City services. I’m grateful to the administration and Health and Hospitals for taking on this initiative, and look forward to seeing its positive results in the months to come.”

MetroPlus will partner with the NYC Department of Probation on several outreach and enrollment initiatives, including:

• On-site marketing at six new Probation Offices that served approximately 25,000 New Yorkers every year.
• Staff education sessions to increase awareness among Probation employees about the city’s efforts to connect more people to health insurance and be able to direct clients to MetroPlus reps.
• Cross advertising on digital and social media platforms

MetroPlus will partner with the NYC Department of Small Business Services on a variety of programs, including:

• On-site marketing at 18 SBS Workforce1 Career Centers, which connect more than 25,000 New Yorkers to employment and nearly 4,000 New Yorkers with the training needed to advance their careers annually;
• On-site marketing at seven SBS NYC Business Solutions Centers, which served nearly 10,000 businesses during fiscal year 2018;
• Staff orientation sessions;
• Marketing at SBS Career Fairs; And
• Joint marketing materials to use on website, kiosks, mailings, email and text campaigns.

MetroPlus offers eligible New Yorkers a wide selection of health insurance options, with affordable fees and copays based on income and family size. The most popular plans include:

• Medicaid – low or no cost plan for low-income children and adults up to 64 yrs old
• Medicare – low or no cost plan for adults 64 yrs old+
• Child Health Plus – low or no cost plan for children under 19 regardless of immigration status
• Essential Plan – for adults 19-64 yrs old not eligible for Medicaid, offering monthly premiums of $0 – $20 based on income
• Qualified Health Plan – for eligible New York City residents, offering cost share reductions that lower out of pocket costs
• Partnership in Care (HIV Special Needs Plan) – for children and adults who are New York City, Medicaid-eligible residents living with HIV/Aids
• MetroPlus Gold – for New York City employees and their families, with no premiums, no copays, no deductibles.

MetroPlus also offers special membership benefits that include:

• Gym Reimbursement – members of select plans and their spouses can save up to $1,000 in gym fees every year
• Member Rewards program – members can earn points for completing health and wellness activities and redeem them for hundreds of popular items from our catalogue
• Annual Wellness Visits – annual exam that helps members and their providers collaborate on a personalized plan of care.

MetroPlus earned an overall rating of five stars, the highest possible score, in the New York State Department of Health’s recently released “2018 Consumer’s Guide to Medicaid and Child Health Plus Managed Care Plans in New York City.” The State’s guide is an annual rating of managed care plans on quality of care delivered and members’ satisfaction with the care and services they receive. MetroPlus is one of only two plans serving New York City to achieve the highest state rating this year.

Since 1985, MetroPlus Health Plan has built a reputation for providing access to affordable, quality health care to residents of Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. A wholly-owned subsidiary of NYC Health + Hospitals, the nation’s largest public health system, MetroPlus is the plan of choice for over half a million New Yorkers. The health plan’s robust network of primary care doctors and specialists includes many independent community providers. Culturally sensitive, and fluent in more than 40 languages, MetroPlus staff is as diverse as the great city it serves. For more information about MetroPlus plans, benefits, and services, visit www.metroplus.org and join the conversation at facebook.com/metroplushealth and twitter @metroplushealth.

The New York City Department of Probation helps build stronger and safer communities by working with and supervising people on probation, fostering positive change in their decision-making and behavior. DOP expands opportunities for them to move out of the criminal and juvenile justice systems through meaningful education, employment, health services, family engagement, and civic participation.

SBS helps unlock economic potential and create economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and building vibrant neighborhoods across the five boroughs. For more information on all SBS services, go to nyc.gov/sbs, call 311, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.