Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Health Initiative Programs

Community Service Society (houses three of the department of Health and mental Hygiene’s health initiative programs. The Navigator network which helps individuals enroll in qualified health plans, Essential plans and Public health insurance. This department also provides fair and impartial about enrollment and the opportunity of receiving premium tax credits. The Navigator Network, while presenting in a manner that is culturally and linguistically appropriate, provides local in-person enrollment assistance in qualified health plans, public insurance for individual consumers or small businesses.

There is also the consumer assistance and advocacy department that includes the Independent Consumer Advocacy Network (ICAN) and Community Health Advocates. Community Service Society is the only entity in New York City that offers on-stop assistance for health care consumers, regardless of their source of coverage. The Community Health Advocates help New York City consumers understand how to use their health insurance, resolve medical billing issues, dispute coverage denials and eligibility determinations; Advocates assist consumers with maximizing their coverage, accessing affordable health care services, hospital and prescription financial help programs. In addition to serving consumers directly, community health advocates also stay up to date on policy implementations and provide real time feedback as health care reform is implemented, conduct community presentations and as liaisons between community-based organizations to address health access needs of their communities.

The Harlem Health Advocacy Partners (HHAP) is one of the community based organizations housed under the Consumer Assistance and Advocacy department of CSS’s Health Initiative Program. The program description described HHAP as a free city program that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents in East and Central Harlem. HHAP's Community Health Advocates assist mainly residents of 5 targeted NYCHA developments (Johnson, Lehman, Taft, King and Clinton) as well as other residents of Eats Harlem. As a Health Advocate you're responsible for assisting clients with understanding how their health insurance works, Educating and assisting them to ensure they can access health care services, advocating for and problem Solving with health care plans.

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