UFT Welfare Fund members, both in-service and retired, and their families now have special access to Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) thanks to a new partnership between the UFT Welfare Fund and the hospital.

The new program, called HSS Perform, includes HSS Care Concierge, a dedicated team to answer members’ questions and help them explore options for treatment at the hospital. The team will then help schedule appointments and coordinate visits as it guides members from diagnosis through treatment.

Hospital for Special Surgery, the country’s No. 1 hospital for orthopedics, treats musculoskeletal issues, including joint pain and injury, back and neck pain, arthritis and more. It offers personalized and innovative surgical and nonsurgical treatments, including physical therapy and rehabilitation.

“We know how popular Hospital for Special Surgery is with our members, so we are pleased to give you special access to its services,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew in the Sept. 17 announcement email to Welfare Fund members.

The program, which costs nothing beyond the standard copays, coinsurance and deductibles, comes with a dedicated hotline and email address to contact the care team.

Within a week of the new program’s launch, more than 100 UFT members had placed inquiries about the service and dozens had scheduled appointments, according to Welfare Fund officials.

Care is available at Hospital for Special Surgery locations in New York City, Westchester, Connecticut, Long Island and New Jersey. Most HSS sites and physicians are in-network with health plans offered by the city of New York, such as GHI CBP and HIP HMO. For questions about whether a specific health plan is in network, please contact the health plan. HSS Care Concierge can help members make an appointment at the location most convenient for them and their families.

“The UFT Welfare Fund is determined to provide our members access to the highest quality health care,” said Mulgrew. “To do that, we need partners who share our vision and dedication to excellence.”

UFT Welfare Fund Director Geof Sorkin said he was proud of the new program he helped set up. “As we get older, it’s inevitable that we will all feel an ache or pain,” he said. “It’s wonderful that we are able to offer this new health benefit through our partnership with the best musculoskeletal hospital in the country.”