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    "Now more families can obtain comprehensive,

      preventive health insurance coverage with Child

      Health Plus – New York State’s health insurance

      plan for kids."

               George E. Pataki, Governor

Child Health Plus is New York State's program that provides children with free or low-cost health insurance.   Child Health Plus "A" is the program formerly known as Medicaid.  Child Health Plus "B" is the New York State implementation of the Federal-sponsored health insurance SCHIP program for families whose annual income exceeds the guidelines for Medicaid.

To access the New York State Website for additional information, click on the following link:

                            http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/chplus/index.htm

The medical staff of Putnam Valley Pediatrics participates in these two programs and strongly recommends them.

Applications for Child Health Plus "A" / Medicaid are made through the Department of Social Services for each county. 

For Westchester County residents, we suggest selecting GHI-HMO as the medical services provider.  Once the application is completed and approved, contact GHI-HMO directly to confirm that you have selected Dr. Zurhellen or Dr. Shurp as your child's primary-care pediatrician. 

For Putnam County residents, we suggest the selection of GHI-HMO as your medical services provider, and again select either Dr. Zurhellen or Dr. Shurp.

For Child Health Plus "B" in our service area, we recommend the selection of Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, giving children access to specialist services through Empire's participating-provider network.  Again, be sure to specify Dr. Zurhellen or Dr. Shurp as your child's designation primary-care pediatrician.

These programs provide coverage for:

In order to be eligible for this program, there are only a few simple requirements:

Monthly premiums vary by income and family size. Sample premiums for a household of five (two parents/three children or one parent/four children) would be:

Child Health Plus is New York State's program that provides children with free or low-cost health insurance. Putnam Valley Pediatrics participate in this program and we strongly recommend it for those families who currently have no other access to health insurance for their children. In the Westchester - Putnam - Dutchess area, this State program is managed through several well-known health insurers, including:

We currently participate these plans because these plans give you access to a wide range of specialists and services.  There are other plans, but we do not currently participate in the others since they limit your access to their own specific facilities and physicians.

If you are, or will be, signing up for Child Health Plus, please be sure to indicate that you wish your child to be enrolled in one of the insurers noted above, and list either Dr. Zurhellen or Dr. Shurp as your child's primary-care pediatrician. If you do not specify these networks, you may be assigned to one of the other closed-panel networks who will not permit you to continue medical care through Putnam Valley Pediatrics.

During the year, New York State, as well as the above insurers, will be sponsoring health fairs and other enrollment events to try to facilitate the use of this program by families with uninsured children. We support this goal, but ask you to be careful -- choose carefully and be aware ! !

To help you with this process, Putnam Valley Pediatrics has obtained application kits from Empire Blue Cross. We would be happy to assist you in getting your child enrolled.