HUDSON HEALTH PLAN ROLLS OUT A DIFFERENT TYPE OF ENROLLMENT 'DRIVE'
 
Hudson Health Plan's New Community Outreach Vehicles Make Enrolling in Free and Low-Cost Health Insurance Programs More Convenient

December 6, 2006
For most New Yorkers, whose employers provide health benefits, enrolling in an insurance plan entails taking a few minutes to fill out a form. But for others, it's not that easy to enroll in public health insurance programs such as Medicaid, Child Health Plus (CHP), and Family Health Plus (FHP). New York State requires applicants to apply in person, so individuals have to take time off of work and arrange transportation to one of a handful of offices that accept applications.  The state requires that individuals return every 12 months to recertify their eligibility. If not, their coverage is dropped.

"It's one of the greatest challenges we face in making sure that everyone who qualifies is covered by public insurance," explains Georganne Chapin, President and CEO of Hudson Health Plan, a not-for-profit managed care provider from free and low-cost health insurance. "It prevents hundreds of thousands of people of getting the coverage they deserve." Of the 2.9 million New Yorkers without health insurance, 45 percent, or 1.3 million, are eligible for Medicaid and CHP, according to the United Hospital Fund.  Among children, the proportion is much higher: 75 percent, or three out of four uninsured children.

Now Hudson Health Plan has launched a new type of enrollment "drive." It has commissioned four custom-designed Community Outreach Vehicles (COVs) - mobile offices on wheels - to make enrollment more convenient. The COVs visit busy sites where people routinely go, such as shopping plazas, community centers, health fairs, and other places with high foot traffic, such as the ShopRite Plaza in North Yonkers or the Jewish Community Center in Poughkeepsie. The eye-catching graphics on the exterior and an inviting setup inside have become an instant hit in the community. Wherever they're parked, the 35-foot-long vehicles attract a crowd.

"Many health plans have vans on the streets to draw attention to their services, but we took it a step further," explains Mark Santiago, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations at Hudson Health Plan. "We're out in the community, talking to people every day. We knew there was a great need for a mobile enrollment office. The vehicles provide a quiet, comfortable place where people can speak privately, and it is easily accessible so individuals don't have to go far out of their way to talk to us."
 
Inside the Community Outreach Vehicles, visitors are amazed to see a full office suite, including a comfortable waiting room and two roomy office cubicles. The COV has Internet access, so Hudson Health Plan marketing representatives can submit applications in real-time and avoid application delays.  An on-board DVD player can keep the kids occupied while mom and dad consult with a representative, and a sound system can broadcast music at street festivals and other events. Certain health services, such as blood pressure screening, can be performed on board as well. 

Since the COVs took to the streets this fall, Hudson Health Plan's enrollment rate has accelerated, according to Mr. Santiago. He also notes that the COVs make it easier for Hudson Health Plan members to recertify their eligibility. One Plan member was delighted to see the COV parked in Ossining at the Clinton Terrace Shopping Center on Croton Avenue, where she works in the Laundromat. "The vehicle is right here," she explained. "I can spend just a few minutes of my lunch hour to recertify my eligibility, instead of making an extra trip and coming in late."

The COVs will travel throughout Hudson Health Plan's six-county service area, but they are particularly important in rural counties such as Ulster and Sullivan, where residents need to travel great distances to reach a limited number of enrollment sites in the region. One COV is assigned to service Dutchess and Ulster Counties; another vehicle is assigned to Orange and Sullivan Counties; and Westchester and Rockland Counties each have their own COV.
 
Individuals are encouraged to visit the COVs even if they're not quite ready to enroll, or they are enrolled already. "Everybody has questions, and it's not always easy to get answers. Now, if you know where our mobile office is going to be, you can stop in and get your questions answered in person," Mr. Santiago says.

To obtain more information about the location of the COVs, individuals can call Hudson Health Plan's toll-free, multi-lingual customer service number, 1-800-339-4557.