Fidelis Care

Fidelis Care

Formation	1993
Type	Non-Profit
Legal status	501(c)(3)
Purpose	Health Insurance Company
Headquarters	New York City, NY
Region served	New York State
Products	Health insurance
Staff	2,000 (est.)[1]
Website	www.fideliscare.org

The New York State Catholic Health Plan, d/b/a Fidelis Care, d/b/a Fidelis Care New York provides health insurance coverage to people of all ages in New York State. Formed in 1993 as the Catholic Health Services Plan of Brooklyn and Queens, Inc., Fidelis Care has grown to provide services to more than 1,000,000 New York State residents. Its primary focus is to provide free or low-cost quality health insurance that covers a variety of services and benefits for children and adults of all ages who qualify. Fidelis Care's main offices are located in New York City, Albany, Syracuse, and Buffalo, with satellite offices in Poughkeepsie, Rochester, and Suffern.

History

Fidelis Care was formed in 1993^[2] under the auspices of the Catholic Medical Center of Brooklyn and Queens, Inc. and the Diocese of Brooklyn to serve the poor and medically underserved, initially operating only in a 14-zip code area Brooklyn. In 1994, Fidelis Care expanded its services throughout Brooklyn and Queens.

In 1994, the eight bishops of the Catholic Dioceses, led by John Cardinal O'Connor, sought to extend the Fidelis Care license across the State, receiving final approval in 1996. In addition to its Medicaid Managed Care program, Fidelis Care became an approved provider of Child Health Plus in 1997, and Family Health Plus in 2001. Both are New York State-sponsored health insurance programs. In May 2004, Fidelis Care began Fidelis Medicare Advantage and Dual Advantage to serve the elderly.

After becoming a subsidiary of Fidelis Care in 2005, CenterCare, a New York City-based Medicaid managed care plan, was formally acquired by Fidelis Care in 2008.^[3]

In 2009, Fidelis Care launched Fidelis Medical Advantage Plus (HMO), a managed long term care product for individuals 18 years of age or older who have a chronic illness or disability.

In 2012, Fidelis Care expanded its "Fidelis Care at Home" managed long-term care program into 11 counties throughout New York State. ^[4]

In 2013, Fidelis Care celebrated its 20th anniversary. That same year, Fidelis Care was approved to be a Qualified Health Plan, offering products through NY State of Health: The Official Health Plan Marketplace.

In the first half of 2014, Fidelis Care announced it would add over 100 new jobs to its Upstate New York offices. ^{[5] [6]} As a result of several factors, including the Affordable Care Act, Fidelis Care experienced dramatic growth in 2014. As of June 1, the company officially has over 1 million members. ^[7]

Today, Fidelis Care is one of the largest government programs-based health plans in New York State.

Mission

Fidelis Care's Mission is as follows:^[8]

"In imitation of the compassionate and healing Christ, consistent with the tradition of Catholic health care and maintaining the highest moral and ethical standards, we, at Fidelis Care New York, strive:

• To promote health through quality, accessible care and services for all;
• To join in partnership with health professionals to assist them in their healing work;
• To act as a facilitator to build linkages and systems for the coordination of care and services among healthcare, behavioral and social services, as well as educators and religious leaders, to address the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of those we serve; and
• To advocate for a health policy that accords true dignity and respect for all human persons, especially the poor and underserved."

New York Liberty

On May 13, 2014, Fidelis Care became the Official Health Plan Partner of the New York Liberty WNBA Basketball team for their 2014 season. ^[9]

References