Your Dollars at Work: Hope and Health For the Holidays

When Rosa was diagnosed with endometrial cancer she was devastated. With a 90-95% survival rate, she was confident that she could survive, but she had to be able to access health care. As a part-time employee Rosa did not have insurance to cover her treatment. Enter her resourceful mother, also named Rosa. Rosa took her daughter to Urban Health Plan, a highly respected community health center in the South Bronx. Urban is a member agency of the Hispanic Federation and receives funding from the Federation to run an insurance enrollment program.

From the moment she walked through the door of the Insurance Place at Urban Health Plan, Rosa felt at home. Matilde, the insurance enroller, listened attentively to Rosa tell her of growing up in the Bronx and loving to dance Bachata and Merengue. Her eyes misted as she heard of Rosa’s diagnosis and she committed to do everything she could to ensure that Rosa obtained insurance.

Today, thanks to Matilde and the Hispanic Federation’s Health Insurance Enrollment Program, Rosa is recovering from her cancer treatment. Saddened because she will never have children, she finds joy in her nephews and nieces. Rosa is glad to be alive.

The Health Insurance Enrollment Program has enrolled more than 15,600 uninsured and underinsured individuals in health care. The program provides outreach, education and in-person enrollment assistance at community-based locations in the five boroughs. More information about the program may be found here.