MetroPlus Health Plan redesigns its website
New website builds on recent technology upgrades to support MetroPlus’ members, providers,
and the City’s push to guarantee access to affordable, quality health care.
Photo courtesy of MetroPlus Health Plan
MetroPlus Health Plan, the city’s
public health insurance option, today
announced the launch of its new
website. Completely redesigned, the
new MetroPlus website is now mobilefi
rst, and its architecture, based upon
Google analytics, allows users to readily
fi nd what they most want to do, see
or search on the site. The new website
builds on recent technology upgrades
to support MetroPlus’ members, providers,
and the City’s push to guarantee
access to affordable, quality health
care for eligible members.
User-friendly and easier to navigate,
the new MetroPlus home page
features clear and simple buttons linking
to pages dedicated to members,
providers, a selection of health insurance
products, and a direct link to the
expanded MetroPlus services in the
GOOD4YOU pages. The website features
access to a multitude of support
services offered to MetroPlus members
that includes coordination of care for
members with complex issues, connection
to available social services, large
selection of member rewards, and a
robust new Health Library, to name
a few. The Health Library feature lets
users fi nd answers to a wide variety of
questions concerning their health or
the health of a loved one. There is also
an easy-to-use way for people to fi nd
MetroPlus locations in their neighborhoods,
where they can receive a full
gamut of health insurance services.
These enhancements to the website
are phase one of the upgrade. Functions
will continue to be refi ned and new
tools such as live chat, more advanced
member and provider portals, and a
phone app, are anticipated to be available
to MetroPlus website users in the
fi rst quarter of 2020. Year to date, the
MetroPlus website has garnered over
2.7 million page views, with the highest
traffi cked features including the “Find
a Specialist,” “Pay My Premium,” and
“Find a Primary Care Physician.”
* * *
This Veterans Day, Fisher House
Foundation and Suave will anniversary
their partnership to further the
incredible work Fisher House does in
providing a ‘home away from home’
where military and veterans’ families
can stay together, at no cost, while a
loved one is in a hospital.
In addition to donating $1 million to
Fisher House, Suave is taking to Twitter
today through Veterans Day (11/11)
to give people across the country a way
to get involved online by driving donations
to the organization’s Hero Miles
program, which provides free airline
tickets for servicemembers and their
families to stay together during medical
treatment.
For every retweet received on this
kick-off post, Suave will donate 100 airline
miles to the Hero Miles program,
with a goal of donating 1 million air
miles to military families through 10K
total retweets.
* * *
Mitchell Katz, MD, president and
CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals announced
the appointment of Deborah
Brown as senior vice president for External
and Regulatory Affairs. In this
role, Brown will guide the System’s external
partnerships and manage complex
regulatory and policy matters,
defi ning and executing strategies to
advance NYC Health + Hospitals’ local,
state, and federal priorities. She
will lead the public health system’s
Government and Community relations
teams. Her appointment was effective
Thursday, October 10.
Brown has nearly two decades of
experience representing, advocating
for, and leading hospital systems. She
joins the public health system from her
position as the chief strategy and innovation
offi cer for Health in the NYC
Mayor’s Offi ce. In that role, she supported
the Deputy Mayor for Health
and Human Services in developing
and managing cross-cutting, forwardlooking
policies and programs to promote
health equity and access.
Prior to the Mayor’s Offi ce, Brown
was the vice president for External
Affairs at Montefi ore Health System,
where she led policy, regulatory, and
advocacy initiatives to advance the
system’s expansion of value-based
care. She also served as the interim
head of Government Affairs, managing
local, state, and federal legislative
and government affairs matters.
Brown joined Montefi ore after a decade
at the Greater New York Hospital
Association, where she progressed to
senior vice president for Legal, Regulatory
Affairs, Professional Affairs
and deputy general counsel. In that
role, she provided high-level analysis,
advocacy, and technical support for
roughly 250 hospitals and long-term
care providers, including NYC Health
+ Hospitals. Her broad portfolio included
regulatory and corporate compliance,
fraud and abuse, governance,
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, O 42 CTOBER 25-31, 2019 BTR
and system integration, and she represented
GNYHA’s members in Albany
and Washington DC.
Before GNYHA, Brown was senior
legislative counsel at the New York
City Council, advising various Council
Committees and counseling the
Finance Division during budget negotiation
and adoption. She began her career
in the United States Department
of Justice Honors Program, where
she investigated hospitals and health
plans in the Health Care Task Force of
the Antitrust Division.
Brown received a JD with honors
from Columbia Law School and an
MSW from the Columbia University
School of Social Work. She received a
BA with honors from the University of
Pennsylvania.
* * *
NYC Health + Hospitals announced
a series of free health insurance
workshops to prepare New Yorkers
for the upcoming open-enrollment
periods. Collaborating with the Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS), the workshops will help
community partners, faith-based organizations,
caregivers, and community
members understand health insurance
options available to them as
they prepare for the open-enrollment
periods for Medicare and New York
State of Health, the State’s offi cial online
marketplace. This is the seventh
consecutive year NYC Health + Hospitals
and CMS are partnering to bring
free workshops to communities across
New York City. The collaboration with
CMS builds on the City’s commitment
of Guaranteed Care, ensuring that all
New Yorkers have access to affordable,
high-quality care.
Health insurance specialists from
CMS will provide updates on Medicare
parts A, B, C, and D, Medicaid basics,
preventive services, enrollment
assistance and resources for the uninsured,
and more. Workshops are open
to community partners, faith-based
organizations, caregivers, community
members, and NYC Health + Hospitals’
staff.
The Bronx workshop will be held
on Thursday, November 7, from 8:30
a.m. to 1 p.m. at NYC Health + Hospitals/
Lincoln, 234 E. 149th Street.
With the exception of people with
Medicare, the next open enrollment
period for New York State of Health,
when residents will be able to either
change their insurance plan, or enroll
in health insurance for the fi rst time,
will start on November 1. For people
with Medicare, the annual enrollment
period began as of October 15, and ends
December 7. During this time, people
with Medicare can select a Medicare
Advantage plan or prescription drug
plan. They can also switch plans if
they are already enrolled.
Registration is free and required
in advance of the event. Light refreshments
will be served, and attendees
will have the chance to win a fi tness
tracker. Participants may also register
by calling (212) 788-3450.
* * *
Stop by picturesque City Island and
enjoy the exciting programs offered at
the PSS City Island Center, which is
located at 116 City Island Avenue, Monday
through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3
p.m. Experience the exercise classes
from gentle Yoga Stretch, Balance
Class, Arthritis Workshop and Tai
Chi as well as the vigorous Fit For Life
and Cardio Fit. They also offer acrylic
painting, calligraphy, health presentations,
blood pressure monitoring, gardening
exchange, singing group and
parties. Lunch is served from noon to
1 p.m. suggested donation is $2. The
center participants go on shopping
trips every day; i.e. Shop Rite, Dollar
Tree, Target, Kmart, as well as theatre
excursions, special trips, special luncheons
and more. It’s free to become
a member, but you must be 60 years of
age or above.
Special Event: Thursday, November
7 at 1 pm, Investing for Older
Americans presented by United States
Securities and Exchange Commission.
Center is open on Election and Veteran’s
Day
For more information contact
Patty at (718) 885-0727 or email pattis@
pssusa.org for their monthly calendar.
* * *
Do you need help getting to and
from your medical appointments?
Transportation services are available
to seniors Monday through Friday, 8
a.m. to 4 p.m., in community districts
9, 10, 11 and 12. The program provides
door-to-door service for all medical appointments.
Their drivers are courteous
and professional; and their vehicles
are clean and handicap accessible,
including wheelchair lifts.
For further information, contact
Mildred Cardona, program director
of the R.A.I.N. Transportation Program,
at (718) 882-8513.
/pssusa.org