NYC Care is a health care access program available regardless of ones’ immigration status or ability to pay

NEW YORK, NY (TIP): NYC Health + Hospitals’ NYC Care program today announced the launch of a city-wide public awareness campaign to encourage eligible New Yorkers to enroll in the program and access the primary, preventive, and specialty care needed to lead longer, healthier lives. The campaign consists of a combination of multilingual advertisements, media partnerships, marketing strategies and earned media opportunities, available in the languages most commonly spoken by NYC Care-eligible New Yorkers: English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese/Mandarin, and Bengali. The campaign uses audio and video from the newly released ‘Doctor Public Service Announcement’ video series, along with static graphics featuring updated messages designed to build trust and highlight the ease with which one can apply for the program. The placements include out-of-home, print and digital newspapers in community and ethnic media, television, radio, Google search/display and social media. The placements will run through December, coinciding with efforts across the Health System to ensure that New Yorkers are aware of the range of health care options available to them during the open enrollment period. The launch of the campaign continues the steady growth in membership since NYC Care exceeded its goal of reaching 100,000 members in February, 2022. Enrollment in NYC Care increased 5.4% from 113,178 members in Fiscal Year 2022 to 119,234 in Fiscal Year 2023, and is up 352% from its first year in 2019.

“Keeping New Yorkers healthy starts with keeping them informed, and I am thrilled to announce the launch of the city-wide public awareness campaign which sends the unified message across different forms of media that healthcare is a right, regardless of your immigration status, ability to pay, language, or how long you have lived in New York City. You can access world-class health care available through NYC Health + Hospitals,” said Jonathan Jiménez, MD, MPH, Executive Director of NYC Care from NYC Health + Hospitals. “Since NYC Care launched in 2019, the NYC Care team has worked tirelessly to consistently put out messaging that encourages New Yorkers to seek the care that they are entitled to. Eligible New Yorkers can call 646-NYC-CARE (646-692-2273) to connect with the 24/7 NYC Care hotline, visit our NYC Care community-based organization partners across the city, or visit NYCCare.NYC to learn more about the program.”

“The launch of the NYC Care public awareness campaign will ensure New York City’s diverse immigrant communities are informed about the resources to live healthier lives,” said Manuel Castro, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. “The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs is proud to support these efforts, most recently by highlighting NYC Care in our immigrant media roundtable on digital equity for immigrant New Yorkers. I encourage eligible New Yorkers to reach out to NYC Care and learn more.”

“NYC Care is a crucial resource for community members, and I am thrilled to see the launch of this campaign which will introduce the program and its life-changing benefits to even more New Yorkers,” said Hewett Chiu, President and CEO, RaisingHealth. “Getting more New Yorkers connected to primary, specialty, and preventive care early keeps our city healthy. I hope all eligible New Yorkers can benefit from this program, as they seek care with dignity and respect.”

In addition to launching paid ad placements, NYC Care continues to leverage its strong partnerships with 22 community-based organizations to conduct culturally-sensitive outreach to prospective members citywide. From community health fairs to back-to-school giveaways to flyering efforts near high foot-trafficked areas, these partners act as trusted community liaisons to answer NYC Care-eligible New Yorkers’ questions about the program and encourage them to apply. The NYC Care team meets with partners regularly to share programmatic updates and understand how the program can continue to do more to meet the needs of its members.

NYC Care also works with partners at all levels of government, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, New York State of Health, and the Mayor’s Office, hosting webinars and in-person information sessions to share about the program. Last month, NYC Care Executive Director Jonathan Jiménez, MD, MPH, joined a media roundtable hosted by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, LinkNYC, and the NYC Office of Technology & Innovation to announce the launch of NYC Care placements on LinkNYC kiosks, and other strategies to address digital inequity for immigrant New Yorkers.

With the launch of the campaign to reach NYC Care-eligible New Yorkers, the program maintains its commitment to ensuring that existing members connect to primary care. Last month, NYC Care announced a partnership with the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit to reach out to over 30,000 NYC Care members and encourage them to connect to primary care. The partnership is part of the mayor’s broader agenda to support a healthier New York City, including sweeping investments in mental health supports for New Yorkers of all ages, lifestyle medicine training for clinicians across the city, and new programs to bolster access to reproductive health care.

In June, NYC Care released findings from a study for Academy Health demonstrating the program’s success in connecting new members to primary and specialty care, which resulted in even higher engagement when looking at members who had two or more chronic diseases and spoke English as a second language (ESL). Overall, 76.9% of new NYC Care members returned to primary care for an additional visit in their first year, 80.7% received a referral outside of primary care, and 75.4% visited specialty care. For new members with two or more chronic diseases, 86.1% returned to primary care, 87.1% received a referral, and 86% visited specialty care. There was also strong engagement for new members who speak English as a second language, where 86.1% returned to primary care, 80.2% received a referral, and 74.7% visited specialty care. This data suggests that NYC Care has spurred patient engagement at rates comparable to Medicaid, and that the data reflects member satisfaction and confidence in the high-quality care they are receiving.

About NYC Care

NYC Care is a health care access program that provides comprehensive and low or no-cost healthcare services through NYC Health + Hospitals for New Yorkers who cannot afford or are ineligible for health insurance. NYC Care provides a membership card, 24/7 customer service, access to comprehensive and affordable healthcare services, like primary care, mental health services, and sexual and reproductive healthcare, low-cost medications, and member materials in multiple languages – regardless of your immigration status or ability to pay. Call 646-NYC-CARE (646-692-2273) or visit NYCCare.NYC to learn more and sign up today – privacy and confidentiality guaranteed.

About NYC Health + Hospitals

NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation. We are a network of 11 hospitals, trauma centers, neighborhood health centers, nursing homes, and post-acute care centers. We are a home care agency and a health plan, MetroPlus. Our health system provides essential services to more than one million New Yorkers every year in more than 70 locations across the city’s five boroughs. Our diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.