ON YOUR NEXT TRIP TO THE MALL, PICK UP SOME HEALTH INSURANCE!

Catch the Hudson Health Plan Community Outreach Vehicle Every Tuesday and Saturday through Dec. 23 at the Cross County Shopping Center

For Immediate Release:

December 1, 2006

'Tis the season when we wish each other good health and happiness, but this year you might be able to do a lot more. Almost half of all uninsured individuals in New York are eligible for public health insurance, according to the United Hospital Fund. Now you can find out if you, your spouse, or your children are among them. Hudson Health Plan, a not-for-profit provider of free and low-cost state-sponsored health insurance, will have marketing representatives at the Cross County Shopping Center in Yonkers every Tuesday and Saturday from now until Dec. 23rd. Stop by the Hudson Health Plan Community Outreach Vehicle (COV), which will be parked next to Santa's House, to see if you can give the gift of good health to your loved ones this holiday season.

Health insurance is necessary for an individual to live a healthy life, according to a 2002 report by the Institute of Health, which concluded that working-age Americans without health insurance are more likely to receive inadequate medical care and receive it too late. Also, the uninsured are likelier to be sicker and die sooner, and receive poorer care when they are in the hospital.  Hudson Health Plan is rolling out Community Outreach Vehicles as mobile offices to make it more convenient for people to find out if they are eligible for public insurance programs such as Medicaid Managed Care, Child Health Plus, and Family Health Plus.

"As a health plan, we believe that everyone should have access to excellent health care, and our new Community Outreach Vehicles are another way we're trying to overcome the barriers that prevent people from applying for these programs," explains Georganne Chapin, President and CEO of Hudson Health Plan, which is the largest provider of Medicaid Managed Care, Child Health Plus, and Family Health Plus in Westchester County, insuring more than 37,000 individuals countywide.  "As a society, we need to make it as easy as possible to enroll in public insurance programs because, without good health, children won't succeed at school and adults won't succeed in the workplace.  Employers will suffer the consequences of an unhealthy workforce, and our health institutions will not be able to shoulder the burden of uncompensated care."

Is Your Child Eligible?
"Every child is entitled to health insurance in New York State, yet studies show that 75 percent of New York children who are eligible for Child Health Plus are not covered," explains Mark Santiago, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Hudson Health Plan. Child Health Plus A is a free program for children who are eligible for Medicaid benefits, while premiums for Child Health Plus B, which covers children not covered by private health insurance, are calculated on a sliding scale, depending on income and family size. "Families of four earning $50,000 or less a year might be able to buy great, affordable health insurance for their children that includes regular medical, dental, and vision check-ups," he says, adding that "if a serious medical condition requiring hospitalization occurs, the family won't be overwhelmed by unpaid medical bills."

Members of the community are invited to stop in at Hudson Health Plan's Community Outreach Vehicle for a free, no-obligation discussion of their health insurance options. The vehicle will be at the Cross County Shopping Mall in Yonkers on:

Tuesday, Dec. 5th, Dec. 12th, and Dec. 19th, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 2nd, Dec. 9th, Dec. 16th, and Dec. 23rd, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information on Child Health Plus, Family Health Plus, and Medicaid Managed Care, please call Hudson Health Plan's toll-free, multilingual customer service number 1-800-339-4557.