Health Plus - Boroughs, City and State Declare: “Today is Health Plus Day”

For Immediate Release

Boroughs, City and State Declare: “Today is Health Plus Day”
Managed Care Organization Marks 25 Years

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New York - August 21, 2009 — Thursday night, at Asser Lever Park in Coney Island, just before the stage lights went on at Salsa by the Sea – one of the most popular nights of Marty Markowitz’s Seaside Concert Series -- managed care organization Health Plus celebrated a quarter-century of service to the community, and the community celebrated, too, as leaders from the five boroughs, New York City, and New York State each bestowed proclamations upon the organization, declaring, far and wide, August 20, 2009, officially “Health Plus Day.”

The evening began while the August sun was still burning high in the sky. Health Plus staff, community partners, and guests gathered for a pre-concert reception, hosted by Health Plus. The VIP area, decorated silver, blue, and white, was lined with framed proclamations from Governor David Paterson, Senator Charles Schumer, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr, and Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi.

Health Plus “is an active participant in the community,” said Mayor Bloomberg’s proclamation. “Whether it is hosting turkey giveaways, organizing coat drives, providing scholarships, or holding health education workshops and free health screenings, Health Plus has dedicated itself to improving the health, lives, and futures of its clients. It’s this spirit of compassion and community service that characterize our city.”

These sentiments were reiterated by each of the other proclamations, as well as by those who spoke, including: Mayor Bloomberg, Comptroller Bill Thompson, Councilman David Weprin, and, of course, the host of the concert series, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.

“It’s hard to believe that it’s been 25 years since we first made our commitment to the community of Sunset Park, Brooklyn,” said Tom Early, Executive Director of Health Plus, “and especially gratifying to consider how far we’ve spread from that one neighborhood in South Brooklyn, now insuring close to 300,000 New Yorkers across New York City and Nassau County. And now, to be recognized, not just by the boroughs, but by the whole city, Nassau County in Long Island, and by the whole state is just amazing. We are all very proud of the work we do at Health Plus, and looking forward to the next 25 years and many more to follow.”

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, flank Health Plus Chief Financial Officer Dan Phillips and Health Plus Chief Marketing Officer Ada Rodriguez while displaying the proclamations.

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Health Plus, a not-for-profit, multi-cultural organization, is one of the fastest growing managed care organizations in New York City. It was established in 1984 with a commitment to provide coordinated quality health care and improving access to health care for uninsured and underserved families. In its annual review of managed care plans, the New York State Department of Health ranked Health Plus as the top plan for quality in its 2002 and 2003 "Consumer's Guide to Medicaid Managed Care in New York City." Health Plus is New York City's leading provider of Child Health Plus, a New York State Department of Health program that offers parents FREE or low-cost health insurance for children under the age of 19. "CRAIN'S New York Business" magazine ranked Health Plus fifth among the largest health maintenance organizations in the New York area.