Immigrants lose insurance for non-renewal

Assemblymember Ellen Young and City Councilmember John Liu are supporting a Chinese-language media campaign in Flushing, because non-English speakers are more likely to ignore renewal notices and therefore lose their public health coverage.
Many immigrants, “are not aware that their insurance needs to be renewed and do not always recognize or understand the official packet of renewal forms they receive in the mail,” according to Sherlina Nageer, of Public Health Solutions.
If their coverage expires, the now-uninsured must go through the lengthy application process all over again, according to Nageer.
The group, formerly known as Medical and Health Research Association of New York City, conducts a Public Health Insurance Enrollment Program.
On Saturday, May 17, between 11 a.m. and noon, Liu and others are kicking off the “Open This Envelope and Stay Covered” awareness campaign, at Flushing Mall, 133-31 39th Avenue in downtown Flushing, between Lawrence and Prince Streets. The event is scheduled for the outdoor deck by the parking lot.
In addition to the community-wide Chinese-language print and outdoor advertising campaign, a “Health Insurance Renewal Hotline” will be established, with bi-lingual insurance enrollers who speak Mandarin, Cantonese and Taishanese, according to Liu.
“By increasing awareness … and providing one-on-one assistance to needy families, this initiative will reduce the high rate of coverage loss among people who cannot afford to go without health insurance,” Liu said.
- Victor G. Mimoni