FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Contact: Renelda Higgins-Walker (Lincoln)
718-579-5777
HHC Lincoln Hospital Helps Bronx Residents Apply for Health Insurance Before
Affordable Care Act Deadline
Bilingual Counselors Available On-Site to Help Uninsured Individuals Sign Up for Affordable
Healthcare Coverage
(
New York, NY – March 25, 2014) New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation’s
Lincoln Hospital officials today announced that bilingual health insurance enrollment counselors
will be available on-site to help New Yorkers access affordable health insurance before the
March 31 Affordable Care Act (ACA) deadline. English and Spanish-speaking counselors are
available at Lincoln to help with the enrollment process.
Lincoln will partner with HHC’s own health plan, MetroPlus, and with HealthFirst, to provide
walk-in hours for new patients and appointments for existing patients by 718-579-5000, to meet
with bilingual counselors from 9:00am - 5:00pm, Monday - Friday, free of charge, at 234 East
149th Street.
The lack of access to bilingual counselors has been identified as a major barrier for enrolling
limited English-speaking New Yorkers in health insurance under the Affordable Care Act
(ACA). That’s why HHC and Lincoln are making available certified, bilingual enrollment
counselors to inform and educate the community about the best health insurance options and
ways to minimize premiums and out-of-pocket costs. March 31 is the deadline for individuals to
enroll in health insurance coverage to avoid a penalty for not obtaining insurance in 2014 under
the ACA.
Experts estimate that over 70 percent of City residents qualify for financial aid in the health
insurance market. For an unmarried New Yorker who earns $20,000 per year, the cost of health
insurance on the state exchange could be as low as $26 per month. A family of four earning
$32,000 per year can qualify for high-quality health insurance at no cost. Even a family of four
earning as much as $94,200 per year can receive some kind of financial assistance to purchase
health insurance through the state exchange.
“Lincoln serves a diverse community and for many English is their second language,” said Roger
Milliner, Deputy Executive Director of HHC’s health plan MetroPlus. “Navigating the
healthcare system can be challenging for people with limited English proficiency. The
availability of these bilingual services makes the process of signing up for health insurance
before the March 31 deadline easier and more efficient for our community.”
“Many people in the community were discouraged because it’s difficult to find bilingual
representatives to help with the enrollment process,” said Milliner. “Partnering with Lincoln to
offer walk-in access to in-language counselors is key to reaching these communities as the
March 31 deadline approaches.”
HHC’s health plan, MetroPlus, is one of the options on the health insurance Marketplace.
MetroPlus offers access to a network of more than 12,000 primary care physicians and specialist
sites cross the city and has the most affordable options in three of the four levels available on the
Marketplace. As of March 24, more than 54,000 shoppers on the NY State of Health – the
official health insurance marketplace in New York – chose MetroPlus as their preferred health
insurance option, making it one of the most popular choices among New York City residents.
The plan covers all essential health benefits, including emergency services, maternity and
newborn care, mental health and substance use services, prescription drugs, and preventive and
wellness services. It also offers a vision and dental rider for an additional low cost; the rate varies
per level.
Anyone who lives in the US and is a legal citizen or resident (and is not incarcerated) is eligible
for coverage and encouraged to sign up under the ACA. Those who are not eligible under the
ACA can still go to an HHC facility such as Lincoln to receive their health care regardless of
their immigration status or their ability to pay. To locate a HHC facility near you call 311 or visit
nyc.gov/hhc.
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About Lincoln Medical Center
Lincoln Medical Center, located at 234 East 149th Street in the Bronx, is a 347-bed, Acute Care Level 1
Trauma Center with the busiest single site emergency department in the region. Winner of the 2012
American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Finalist Award, the hospital emphasizes
primary care and specialty medicine and uses the latest advances in medical science. Lincoln Medical
Center is a member of the Generations+/Northern Manhattan Health Network, a healthcare conglomerate
which is part of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC).
About HHC
The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare
delivery system with its own 420,000 member health plan, MetroPlus, and is the largest municipal
healthcare organization in the country. HHC serves 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more than
475,000 are uninsured. HHC provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11
acute care hospitals, five skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more
than 70 community based clinics. HHC Health and Home Care also provides in-home services for New
Yorkers. HHC was the 2008 recipient of the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission's John
M. Eisenberg Award for Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality. For more information,
visit www.nyc.gov/hhc or find us on facebook.com/nycHHC or twitter.com/HHCnyc.
