NYC MCCAP was formed in 1998 to respond to the great need of consumers for information and help when moving to managed care. The NYC Task Force on Medicaid Managed Care (a coalition of advocates, providers, and consumers) documented the serious difficulties for Medicaid beneficiaries switching to managed care. The greater responsibility managed care bureaucracies require of enrollees can, in effect, block them from getting needed health services.

The NYC Task Force proposed to the NYC Council a citywide program to provide consumers having trouble getting health care with health insurance counseling and assistance in local communities and languages. The City Council allocated $1.5 million in the first year to establish the NYC MCCAP. The Council chose the Community Service Society of New York (CSS), because of its experience providing community-based managed care education, to develop and coordinate the program.

NYC MCCAP is administered by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Division of Health Care Access and Improvement.
Before NYC MCCAP, CSS commissioned a 1999 citywide survey to identify people most likely to lose health care because of the complexities of managed care. The survey, a random-sample of 800 New Yorkers (interviewed by phone in five languages), found the following groups most vulnerable:

• Recent immigrants
• People with Limited English Proficiency
• Low-income individuals
• People with chronic illnesses

The research methods and findings from the NYC MCCAP's Managed Care Access Survey are available here (Microsoft PowerPoint file) [coming soon].

Following the NYC Task Force's recommendations, CSS designed the program to help these high-priority populations. CSS subcontracts with community-based organizations that have served these populations. Through grants, training, materials, and technical assistance, NYC MCCAP enables those organizations to assist their clients with managed care questions and problems.

NYC MCCAP agencies are selected through a competitive bidding process. To date, the program has released two Request For Proposals (RFPs) and currently subcontracts with 22 agencies throughout New York City. For information about the RFP process, e-mail us at mccap@cssny.org.