In addition to providing vital free healthcare, the NYCFC serves as a key access point for the uninsured into public insurance programs, including Medicaid, Medicare, and Family Health Plus.
All new patients with the NYCFC are screened for eligibility for public insurance eligibility by a social worker during their first appointment.
Additionally, all follow-up or returning patients to the NYCFC are re-screened every six months for eligibility.
When eligible, the clinic facilitates the application process to ensure successful enrollment in public insurance programs.
Screening takes no more than a few minutes, and may include questions regarding your income and family status, among other areas. Please know that all answers are entirely confidential and will not be discussed with anyone not directly involved in providing healthcare services for you. Your information and answers are never shared with anyone outside the clinic under any circumstances.
Why screen for insurance?
The NYCFC strives to provide the best, most comprehensive free care for the greatest number of New Yorkers.
However, patients qualifying for government health insurance benefit greatly from the more extensive array of resources available to them through the city, state, and federal governments. Qualifying for government insurance also affords patients improved access to healthcare providers, with the chance to build a strong relationship with a single physician in their home community.
By facilitating the application and enrollment process into government insurance programs, the NYCFC thus also works to reduce the number of uninsured New Yorkers by utilizing preexisting public insurance programs.
