Enrolling low-income New Yorkers in health insurance programs is a job for public employees, DC 37 told state lawmakers last month.

After years of trying to cut Medicaid benefits and Medicaid enrollment, New York State has developed several programs to complement Medicaid and provide health insurance for low-paid people. However, enrolling and keeping participants in these programs has proved difficult.

Testifying Dec. 18 before the State Assembly Committees on Health, Social Services and Insurance, DC 37 Public Policy Director Deborah E. Bell joined other witnesses in calling for more streamlined procedures. To ensure success, she advocated an expanded role for public employees.

The fundamental issue in New York City is that HRA must “operate like a provider of services, not a denier of services,” said Ms. Bell.

Because HRA did not want to do the outreach, the State Health Dept. has contracted with a private firm, Maximus, to perform Medicaid managed care enrollment in New York City and with community-based organizations (CBOs) to facilitate enrollment in Child Health Plus.

Bell cautioned that private enrollment services have created new barriers to insuring the poor. Reportedly, CBOs have found it difficult to maintain a steady base of skilled enrollment workers. “You need a stable experienced work force to do the job well,” said Bell.

Dorothy Chambers, who chairs Local 1549’s Dept. of Social Services Chapter, agrees: “We know all about how eligibility works. HRA employees do the work every day,” she said.

HRA has hired more workers under the HealthStat enrollment initiative, but Local 1549 leaders have also urged the agency to do more and testified in support of hiring Interpreters to improve communication, said Ronnie Harris, assistant director of DC 37’s Clerical-Administrative Division.

Experience counts
“One of the reasons the union is committed to maximizing enrollment in health insurance programs is to improve revenues at HHC,” commented Ms. Bell. According to Ralph Palladino, acting chair of Local 1549’s Hospital Chapter, “Enrolling in-patients effectively has to be done by city employees who work inside HHC facilities.”

“Our members have been doing eligibility and enrollment work since Medicaid started in 1966,” said Local 1549 Deputy Administrator Delsie Butler. “These dedicated, experienced workers, based at hospitals and other locations in all five ?boroughs, understand the importance of this health insurance for the working poor and their families.”