Empire BlueCross BlueShield HealthPlus and NYC Health + Hospitals Announce Agreement to Increase Access for Medicaid Managed Care Consumers

NEW YORK, May 16 -- The New York City Health and Hospitals issued the following news release:

With a shared commitment to increase consumer access to high-quality, affordable health care, Empire BlueCross BlueShield HealthPlus (HealthPlus) and NYC Health + Hospitals are announcing they have finalized a new Medicaid managed care contract that will add NYC Health + Hospitals to HealthPlus's care provider network. As a result, HealthPlus Medicaid consumers enrolled in managed care, Essential Plan, and Child Health Plus insurance plans will now have access to the wide range of services for children, adolescents, and adults at NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest public health system in the country, which serves more than one million New Yorkers each year at 70 patient care locations across the city's five boroughs.

HealthPlus's affiliate, Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire), and NYC Health + Hospitals have also renewed agreements that will enable Empire's commercial and Medicare Advantage consumers to continue having access to NYC Health + Hospitals' providers. The agreements, which went into effect on May 1, 2018, are designed to expand treatment options while improving consumer safety, health care quality, and efficiency. Furthermore, the commercial agreement continues with NYC Health + Hospitals as an in-network provider for Empire consumers, whether they are enrolled through employer-sponsored coverage or health insurance exchange coverage.

"At HealthPlus, we are constantly seeking new opportunities to broaden our network to include more high quality health care services for our consumers," said Jack Stephenson, President, Empire BlueCross and BlueShield HealthPlus. "The addition of NYC Health + Hospitals will make health care simpler for our commercial, Medicare and Medicaid consumers by increasing access to providers in their communities to help improve their health and wellbeing. We look forward to working with NYC Health + Hospitals to enhance our programs and services to ensure we continue to meet the dynamic needs of our consumers."

"These agreements reflect growing recognition that our public health system must be included as an in-network participant of a world-class insurance network," said Mitchell Katz, MD, President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals. "We are pleased that all Empire BlueCross BlueShield consumers will now have even smoother and easier access to all the essential health care services we offer across all five boroughs."

To learn more about Empire, please visit www.empireblue.com. To learn more about NYC Health + Hospitals, please visit www.myhealthandhospitals.org.

About Empire BlueCross BlueShield

Serving New Yorkers for 80 years, Empire BlueCross BlueShield is the largest health insurer in New York supporting more than four million members and more than 38,000 business, union and small employers in New York. Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire) is the trade name of Empire HealthChoice Assurance, Inc., and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO is the trade name of Empire HealthChoice HMO, Inc., independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, serving residents and businesses in the 28 eastern and southeastern counties of New York State. Additional information about Empire is available at www.empireblue.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at @empirebcbs.

About NYC Health + Hospitals

NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city's five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system's trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan--all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 42,000 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 at https://www.facebook.com/NYCHealthandHospitals or Twitter at @NYCHealthSystem.