Press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tracy Munford
(212) 614-5538 (office)
(646) 483-6804 (cell)

NYC'S MCCAP MANAGED CARE INSURANCE PROGRAM EXPANDS ITS REACH TO SERVE MORE NEW YORKERS

Misunderstanding Managed Care Can Lead to Mismanaged Healthcare Free Workshops to Help You Understand

New York, NY, April 23, 2008 -- Over the last ten years, the New York City MCCAP Program, managed by the Community Service Society, (CSS) has reached 120,000 people in the city's five boroughs and this year, CSS has expanded NYC MCCAP to include new agencies and ethnic populations.

"Access to quality health care is a public health issue," commented David R. Jones, president and CEO of the Community Service. "Understanding and applying the rules of managed care creates a quagmire and barrier for many New Yorkers. Our program educates, informs and provides the tools for individuals and families to understand managed care."

The NYC Managed Care Consumer Assistance Program (NYC MCAP) is an innovative resource that helps New Yorkers navigate the complex managed health care maze. It provides critical health assistance to the most vulnerable and underserved populations of New York City through community education workshops and individual counseling sessions. Assistance varies from helping the elderly choose a Medicare plan, and assisting the disabled get the care they need, to helping those who are wrongly denied a service or dropped from a plan for no apparent reason.

CSS implemented NYC MCCAP after persuading the City Council to establish the program in 1998. CSS coordinates the program for the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and provides training to NYC MCCAP agencies. CSS also holds managed care workshops geared to social service professionals. This spring, free workshops include information on Medicaid, Medicare Part D (prescription drugs), and the rights of the consumer in the managed care system.

NYC MCCAP has demonstrated its effectiveness in expanding access to health insurance and needed medical services for the city's most difficult to reach populations. Over 70 percent of its clients speak a language other than English at home; over 60 percent are born outside of the United States. NYC MCCAP is a crucial resource for Black and Latino New Yorkers; 75 percent of its clients are people of color or ethnic minorities.

NYC MCCAP assists consumers in obtaining health insurance and educates New Yorkers about how to use their health care plans to get the care they need. It also informs consumers of their rights in managed care and provides help in resolving problems with their health plans. NYC MCCAP helps people with all types of public and private health insurance -- Medicaid, Family Health Plus, Child Health Plus, Medicare, and private health insurance.

NYC MCCAP services are provided through a network of 26 community-based organizations located throughout the five boroughs. People at these agencies have been trained to conduct quality community education workshops and to provide individualized counseling for New Yorkers who face barriers to accessing health care services.  These are organizations that are well-known and trusted in their neighborhoods. The diversity of the NYC MCCAP network allows it to provide services in 12 languages, including Spanish, Haitian-Creole, Chinese, Russian, and Yiddish.

To attend a workshop or find out more about MCCAP, call Lisa Moore at 212-614-5346. All workshops are held at the Community Service Society at 105 E. 22nd. Street, NYC. To find out more about MCCAP visit online at www.nycmccap.org.

For 160 years, the Community Service Society of New York has been the leading voice on behalf of low-income New Yorkers and continues to advocate for the economic security of the working poor in the nation’s largest city.

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