Bluestone to Lead Coalition of New York State Public Health Plans

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Photo of Maura Bluestone

ALBANY, NY (02/01/2010)(readMedia)-- The Coalition of New York State Public Health Plans is pleased to announce that Maura Bluestone will serve as the new chair of the Coalition. Bluestone has served as president and CEO of Affinity Health Plan for 24 years. Affinity serves members in New York City and the surrounding counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Orange and Westchester.

Affinity is a founding member of the Coalition of New York State Public Health Plans. The Coalition includes nine plans serving more than 2 million, or two-thirds of, children and adults enrolled New York's public health insurance programs through the state's Medicaid managed care program, Family Health Plus and Child Health Plus.

"I look forward to continuing the great work of the Coalition health plans in improving access and quality of care for our most vulnerable populations," says Bluestone. "We will continue to work with providers, government agencies, community based organizations, advocacy groups and others to improve health, reduce costs and remove the barriers that still prevent some 2.6 million New Yorkers from getting comprehensive, affordable coverage."

The Coalition, which was founded in 1995, conducts research and advocacy to promote policies that improve access to health insurance and high quality care for low-income New Yorkers. New York's public health plans have surpassed national benchmarks on over 80 percent of quality of care measures.

Before founding Affinity, Bluestone served in a number of health care policy positions, including work with the President's Commission on the Accident at Three Mile Island after the 1979 nuclear power plant accident. She has directed evaluation studies of federal health regulatory programs and Medicare programs. She currently serves on the boards of the Association of Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) and the Health Plan Association of NYS (HPA). Bluestone also co-chairs the Medicaid Committee of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).

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Members of the Coalition of New York State Public Health Plans offer decades of experience in delivering high quality services to populations that often experience significant barriers to health care. Coalition plans are sponsored by or affiliated with public and not-for-profit hospitals, community health centers and physicians. Coalition members include:

Affinity Health Plan (New York City and Nassau, Orange, Suffolk, Rockland and Westchester Counties)

Fidelis Care New York (New York City and 41 counties)

Healthfirst (New York City and Nassau and Suffolk Counties)

Health Plus (New York City and Nassau County)

Hudson Health Plan (Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester Counties)

MetroPlus Health Plan (Bronx, Kings, New York and Queens Counties)

Monroe Plan for Medical Care (Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Wayne and Yates Counties)

Neighborhood Health Providers (New York City and Suffolk County)

Total Care (Cortland, Onondaga, Oswego and Tompkins Counties)