Fidelis Care Partners with St. Elizabeth Medical Center

Health Insurance Open Houses for the Uninsured at Two Locations On August 25

UTICA, NY (08/22/2011)(readMedia)-- Fidelis Care, the New York State Catholic Health Plan, is proud to join with St. Elizabeth Medical Center to help uninsured residents of Oneida County apply for quality, free or low-cost health care coverage.

Fidelis Care representatives will be on site at St. Elizabeth Children's Health Center located at 2212 Genesee Street, Utica; and St. Elizabeth East Utica Medical Group located at 1256 Culver Avenue, Utica, from 10:00am until 2:00pm on Thursday, August 25 to answer questions about health insurance options and to help eligible residents apply to enroll in Fidelis Care programs.

St. Elizabeth Medical Center is a not-for-profit hospital founded in 1866 by the Sisters of St. Francis. It operates a 201-bed, acute regional hospital with inpatient services, outpatient services and is the Area Trauma Center. The Medical Center consists of the hospital, five regional teaching institutions and 14 community sites. Fidelis Care and St. Elizabeth Medical Center are united in their commitment to ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to quality medical care.

Oneida County is home to 24,000 uninsured individuals, more than 4,200 of which are children under the age of 19. As the school year quickly approaches, parents are reminded that nearly every child in New York State is eligible for coverage under Child Health Plus. Furthermore, studies show a strong correlation between access to health care and academic success. If your child does not have health coverage, Fidelis Care and St. Elizabeth Medical Center encourage you to attend one of the open houses to learn more about Child Health Plus.

Uninsured individuals who are not able to attend an open house may contact Fidelis Care at 1-888-FIDELIS to arrange an individual meeting with a Fidelis Care representative at a convenient time and location.

Fidelis Care offers free or low-cost health insurance through New York State's Child Health Plus, Family Health Plus, and Medicaid Managed Care programs. Members are covered for regular checkups, preventive care, routine screenings, hospital and emergency care, eye exams, dental care, and more.

Fidelis Care also offers a variety of benefit options for seniors through Fidelis Medicare Advantage, Dual Advantage, Medicaid Advantage Plus, and Fidelis Care at Home programs, available in select counties.

To apply for enrollment in Child Health Plus, Family Health Plus, or Medicaid Managed Care through Fidelis Care, please bring proof of age, income, and address.

With nearly 720,000 members in 58 counties statewide, Fidelis Care was founded on the belief that all New Yorkers should have access to affordable, quality health insurance. Members have access to a provider network of more than 43,000 health care professionals statewide. Regional offices are located in Albany, Syracuse, Amherst, and Rego Park (Queens), with satellite offices in Rochester, Poughkeepsie, and Suffern.

For more information, call Fidelis Care toll-free at 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547) or visit fideliscare.org.