NYC Health + Hospitals’ NYC Care Program Launches “Light The Way” Citywide Public Awareness Campaign

NYC Health + Hospitals' NYC Care Program Launches "Light The Way" Citywide Public Awareness Campaign

The multilingual "Light the Way" campaign encourages enrollment and re-enrollment for NYC Care-eligible New Yorkers

NYC Health + Hospitals' NYC Care is a health care access program available to all New Yorkers regardless of one's immigration status or ability to pay

May 28, 2026

New York, NY - NYC Health + Hospitals' NYC Care program today announced the launch of a public awareness marketing campaign to encourage enrollment and re-enrollment for NYC Care-eligible New Yorkers. The campaign highlights the diversity of NYC Care's members, new benefits including low- and no-cost durable medical equipment, and the level of access to high-quality primary, specialty, and preventive care one can attain by using the NYC Care membership card. The campaign will run through July in English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Russian, Bengali, Haitian Creole, Korean, Arabic, Urdu, French, and Polish. Ads will be placed in print and digital newspapers, out-of-home (transit, billboards, and posters in local businesses), TV, radio, and social media. Placements will also include the "Light the Way" truck, featuring a street team who will drive across the five boroughs to share information about the program and hand out promotional items. For all of the latest updates on the campaign, follow NYC Health + Hospitals on social media with the handle @NYCHealthSystem.

The new video ad for the campaign is available here, and New Yorkers are encouraged to help spread the word about the campaign through a new social media toolkit, accessible here.

"Making healthcare affordable and accessible to every New Yorker is a core tenet of the Mamdani Administration's health agenda," said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga. "By providing low or no-cost services to those who cannot afford care or are ineligible for insurance, NYC Care is vital to the health and well-being of our city. Encouraging those eligible to enroll and re-enroll in this essential program is of the utmost importance, and with ads spread across the city and airwaves, the 'Light the Way' campaign helps bring that much-needed awareness to the public."

"With the launch of the 'Light the Way' campaign, NYC Care uplifts universal health care access to all New Yorkers," said Jonathan Jiménez, MD, MPH, Executive Director of NYC Care at NYC Health + Hospitals. "When New Yorkers see our new marketing campaign out in the field, they should feel pride that in New York City, no one is denied access to care based on their immigration status, ability to pay, or preferred language. Please help us to spread the word about this critical program with your friends and family and visit NYCCare.NYC to learn more. Every New Yorker should have their very own primary care home."

"Every New Yorker deserves access to quality, affordable health care, regardless of immigration status or ability to pay," said Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Faiza N. Ali. "NYC Care has become a trusted lifeline for immigrant communities across the five boroughs by connecting families to comprehensive primary, specialty, preventive, and behavioral health services in a culturally and linguistically responsive way. The 'Light the Way' campaign reflects the City's commitment to meeting communities where they are with clear, multilingual information and trusted outreach. We encourage all eligible New Yorkers to enroll or renew their membership and take advantage of the critical care and support NYC Care provides."

"At Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, we deeply appreciate NYC Care's commitment to culturally and linguistically responsive healthcare outreach," said Myoungmi Kim, President & CEO of Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York. "By translating campaign materials and advertisements into Korean and other Asian languages and placing them in trusted ethnic media outlets, NYC Care's 'Light the Way' campaign helps immigrant New Yorkers feel seen, respected, and informed. For many older adults and limited-to-English-proficient community members, language barriers can delay access to preventative care and essential health services. This campaign sends a powerful message that healthcare is accessible, safe, and available regardless of immigration status, while recognizing the importance of reaching communities in the languages they trust and understand most."

"At the Emerald Isle Immigration Center, we congratulate NYC Health + Hospitals' NYC Care program on the launch of the 'Light the Way' citywide public awareness campaign," said Siobhan Dennehy, Executive Director at Emerald Isle Immigration Center. "This powerful campaign will help support underserved communities while building trust in, and access to, primary, specialty, and preventive care in NYC."

NYC Care has more than 130,000 active members and has provided over one million primary care appointments. In fiscal year 2025 alone, NYC Care members completed 62,936 women's health, 54,132 eye specialist, 39,667 behavioral health, 25,642 dermatology, 23,258 cardiology, and 19,725 cancer care appointments. A study published in 2024 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that new NYC Care members had the same health care engagement and chronic disease control as new Medicaid enrollees, demonstrating the health equity achieved through the program. NYC Care's community-based organization partners have reached over 1.4 million New Yorkers, scheduled over 62,000 enrollment appointments, and facilitated over 19,000 direct enrollments. From developing a multi-lingual video series about the program and deploying regular public awareness campaigns to launching new partnerships with consulates and community-based organizations, NYC Care continues to champion health care for all New Yorkers.

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About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city's five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system's trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlusHealth-all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 46,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About NYC Care
NYC Care is a health care access program that provides comprehensive and low or no-cost healthcare services through NYC Health + Hospitals for New Yorkers who cannot afford or are ineligible for health insurance. NYC Care provides a membership card, 24/7 customer service, access to comprehensive and affordable healthcare services, like primary care, mental health services, and sexual and reproductive healthcare, low-cost medications, and member materials in multiple languages - regardless of your immigration status or ability to pay. Call 646-NYC-CARE (646-692-2273) or visit NYCCare.NYC to learn more and sign up today - privacy and confidentiality guaranteed.