Holy Name Press Releases

Holy Name Helps More Than 6,000 Families Get Insurance

Asian Americans and Hispanics Offered Assistance for Medical Coverage

February 8, 2016

Holy Name Medical Center helped more than 2,000 Asian and 500 Hispanic families get health insurance this year by assisting them in signing up for coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This is the third year bilingual hospital staff members, through Holy Name's Asian Health Services, worked with federal navigators to assist uninsured or underinsured Asian Americans get medical insurance, ensuring that a total of 5,654 families are covered.

"Holy Name has become a national model in delivering culturally sensitive medical services for people of all traditions in the tri-state area," said Michael Maron, President and CEO of Holy Name Medical Center. "Part of this service is helping individuals and families bridge language and cultural barriers to get the health coverage they need, which will help improve healthcare outcomes."

Staff members who speak Korean and Chinese were on hand to help overcome language barriers many residents face when trying to enroll in a health plan through the computerized ACA system. Navigators, familiar with the system, worked with staff members and residents each week day and some Saturdays during the enrollment period, from November through January.

"The ability to access health care is the first step in maintaining good health," said Kyung Hee Choi, Vice President of Asian Health Services. "We are pleased that over 5,000 Asian American families are given access to health care coverage through our assistance."

This year for the first time, Spanish-speaking residents needing health insurance were helped through Holy Name's Familia y Salud program, created in 2015 to address the medical needs of Hispanic residents in a culturally sensitive environment. The efforts to help families gain coverage, by both Familia y Salud and Asian Health Services, were recently lauded by U.S. Senator Robert Menedez and US Health and Human Services Executive Officer Dennis Gonzalez, who each spoke at Holy Name on the importance of having medical insurance for residents nationwide.