Callen-Lorde Community Health Center

More than 1 million individuals have enrolled in public and private coverage through the NY State of Health Marketplace.

Consumer assistance has played a critical role in helping previously uninsured individuals understand their health insurance options and apply for coverage—in New York alone, fully half of all those who enrolled in coverage relied on in-person assistance. Significant work remains, however, to eliminate barriers to coverage for more than 1 million New Yorkers who remain uninsured and to help those who did enroll renew their coverage. To complement the State’s efforts to engage and enroll uninsured residents, NYHealth launched in 2014 a statewide enrollment network of community-based organizations to conduct education, outreach, enrollment, and referrals. These organizations directly reach populations known to be uninsured at disproportionately high rates: low-wage workers; immigrants; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) New Yorkers. NYHealth awarded Callen-Lorde Community Health Center (Callen-Lorde) a grant in 2013 to participate in this initiative. NYHealth awarded Callen-Lorde a second grant to continue these efforts in 2015.

With NYHealth funding, grantees of this initiative undertook a comprehensive range of consumer engagement activities and enrolled uninsured New Yorkers into coverage. Specifically, Callen-Lorde targeted New York City’s LGBT communities for enrollment assistance. It also provided services to all eligible clients residing in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, regardless of sexual orientation, sexual/gender identity, racial/ethnic background, language spoken, or special needs.

View a complete list of 2015 Enrollment Network grantees.