Fidelis care targeting uninsured people for outreach

More than 3.2 million people in New York State are currently without health insurance. New York's Catholic health plan, Fidelis Care, is hoping to reduce those numbers with a new campaign: Cover the Uninsured Week.

Technically, Cover the Uninsured Week was observed March 10-16, but Fidelis communications director Darla Shattenkirk told The Evangelist that the campaign will actually extend throughout Lent.

"We wanted to tie into our faith-based heritage," she said of Fidelis. "Lent is generally a time for reflection and reaching out to others."

Explaining Fidelis

Outreach to the uninsured is being done through advertising in various media and posting Fidelis representatives at various locations around the Albany Diocese to interview people interested in signing up for Family Health Plus, Child Health Plus or Medicaid.

The representatives will talk about the income requirements for the various programs and help people fill out applications.

The campaign is part of a national observance of Cover the Uninsured Week, which includes more than 460 different educational events, interfaith prayer services, health screenings and town meetings about health care across the U.S.

Dangers

Mrs. Shattenkirk noted that people without health insurance are in danger on several fronts: They may put off treatment for chronic health problems, waiting until the condition needs emergency care; and going to emergency rooms for treatment means they also don't get continuity of care from one doctor.

For Fidelis Care, helping the needy get health care is "all that we do," said Mrs. Shattenkirk. "It's our priority and mission to make sure people have access to healthcare coverage."

Even in the face of Gov. George Pataki's plan in his executive budget to cut programs like Family Health Plus, the director said, "we're going to keep on working."

(To learn where Fidelis Care representatives will be speaking to people about health coverage, call 1-888-FIDELIS.)

(3/20/03) [[In-content Ad]]