News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2014 

Kings County Hospital HelpsBrooklyn Residents Apply for Health Insurance

HHC Kings County Hospital Center Helps Brooklyn 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 ― New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation’s Kings County Hospital Center 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. Counselors at Kings County are available to speak in English, Spanish, French Creole, Hindi, Malayalam, and Russian.

Kings County 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 calling 718-245-3131, to meet with bilingual counselors from 9:00am - 5:00pm, Monday - Friday, free of charge, at 541 Clarkson Ave, E Building Ambulatory Care Center.

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 Kings County 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.

“Kings County serves a diverse group of people 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 Kings County 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 Kings County 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.

 

About Kings County Hospital Center

Kings County Hospital Center (KCHC) is a 627-bed facility that serves the communities of Central Brooklyn, East New York-New Lots and Flatbush. KCHC, a teaching hospital, is part of the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC). KCHC is a Level I Trauma Center for Adults and the only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center in Brooklyn. It is a NYSDOH Designated AIDS Center; a Stroke Center; and has also been designated as a Center of Excellence for Diabetes and for Parkinson Disease. KCHC has played a major role in providing health care to vulnerable populations in Brooklyn since 1831. For more information visit www.nyc.gov/kchc.

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.