News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2014 

MetroPlus Health Plan Unwraps Unique “Transit” Advertising This Month

MetroPlus Health Plan Unwraps Unique “Transit” Advertising This Month

(New York, NY) MetroPlus Health Plan, the insurance plan of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) has launched a new series of ads that will be hard to miss for anyone who uses mass transit. The ads, appearing on subway cars and bus shelters, feature transit themed messaging urging consumers to “GET ON BOARD” as well as touting “NONSTOP SERVICE” and announcing “NEXT STOP HEALTHY.”

This is the first new advertising campaign from MetroPlus since capturing an estimated 25% share of consumers in New York City who enrolled in the New York State of Health – the official health insurance marketplace in New York. Many of the ads will tie in messaging from parent company HHC in an effort to educate New Yorkers about diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure and HIV.

The advertising, developed by MetroPlus agency MSA Advertising & Public Relations, includes New York City Subway “brand trains,” geo-targeted bus shelters and a new effort; perimeter mall advertising to raise awareness of the health plan’s kiosk locations in Kings Plaza, Queen Center and Green Acres malls. “What could be easier than shopping for spring clothes, grabbing a coffee and applying for health insurance all under one roof?” says Roger Milliner, Deputy Executive Director of Marketing for MetroPlus.

All of these new advertising executions will include the HHC logo in addition to MetroPlus branding. “We believe that many consumers choose MetroPlus due to our affiliation with the outstanding HHC facilities that are in their neighborhood,” explains Arnold Saperstein, M.D., MetroPlus President and Chief Executive Officer. Already enjoying a profile boost in the press thanks to the health plan’s burgeoning membership numbers, HHC has recently unveiled a redesigned website and Facebook page reminding New Yorkers that these are world class medical facilities.

“Because we are a subsidiary of HHC, we have a tremendous ability to work together with hundreds of physicians, nurses, specialists, nursing homes and the home health services that are part of the public health care system to manage care for our customers,” added Dr. Saperstein. “Our interests are aligned with a focus on prevention, early detection and coordinated care across any health service. We have a culture of caring for our customers where patient satisfaction and their health outcomes come first.”

MetroPlus – the plan of choice for nearly half a million New Yorkers – was founded in 1985 and has consistently been one of the top-ranked health plans in customer satisfaction in New York City for almost 10 years, rated #1 seven out of eight years consecutively. With 12,175 in-network providers, MetroPlus Health Plan has 25 in-network hospitals, including 11 HHC facilities, 4 Continuum hospitals, the SUNY, NYU and Mt. Sinai networks as well as independent hospitals.

Contact: Kathryn Knox Soman (212) 908-8588 SOMANK@nychhc.org

About MetroPlus

Over nearly 30 years, MetroPlus Health Plan has built a reputation for providing affordable, quality care to residents of Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens. A health services plan certified under Section 4403-a of the New York Public Health Law, MetroPlus is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country, MetroPlus provides managed care to nearly half a million eligible New Yorkers. In addition to Medicaid Managed Care, MetroPlus offers Child Health Plus, several Medicare Advantage Plans, a Special Needs Plan (SNP) for people with HIV and their families, a Long-Term Managed Care Plan, and over 40 NY State of Health Marketplace products with a total enrollment of 445,000. The company’s robust network of primary care doctors and specialists includes many independent community providers. Plan staff is drawn from the communities that MetroPlus serves and speaks more than seventy languages. MetroPlus has consistently been one of the top-ranked health plans in New York City for almost 10 years.

About HHC

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare delivery system and is the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country. HHC provides a wide range of high quality and affordable healthcare services to 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more than 475,000 are uninsured. HHC offers medical, mental health and substance abuse services, as well as specialized care for a wide range of health conditions through its 11 Centers of Excellence. Comprehensive, personalized care is available to all New Yorkers at HHC's 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's own MetroPlus Health Plan is one of the New York area's largest providers of government-sponsored health insurance and is the plan of choice for 445,000 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. Several HHC facilities have been recognized nationally for clinical excellence and commitment to quality achievements. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/hhc or find us on facebook.com/nycHHC or twitter.com/HHCnyc.