Commissioner Martin on health insurance enrollment and Medicaid threats
Commissioner Martin details the Board of Health resolution responding to looming Medicaid cuts and the launch of a $500K campaign to promote free health insurance enrollment services. He notes over 5 million New Yorkers are enrolled in low or no-cost insurance plans.
Most recently, the Board of Health unanimously approved a resolution responding to looming cuts to Medicaid and changes to public health insurance options more broadly.
That resolution also calls on New York City and state government
to mitigate the harms of federal actions and educate the public about their options.
That very same day, we launched a $500,000 campaign advertising our free services that help New Yorkers enroll in low and no-cost health insurance.
That campaign runs through the end of this month on social media.
In newspapers, on LinkNYC kiosks, it's translated into 13 different languages.
The ads point New Yorkers directly to our health insurance enrollment team.
These services are free of charge and available regardless of someone's immigration status or ability to pay.
Our enrollment counselors offer guidance on coverage options and help navigating government bureaucracy.
They help meet the needs of the whole person by recommending other benefit applications, including SNAP.
They will also enroll people in NYC Care if that's their only health care option.
These are critical services that New Yorkers
That connect New Yorkers to programs that most of our city relies on.
Right now, more than 5 million New Yorkers are enrolled in low or no-cost insurance plans, including Medicaid and the Essential Plan.
Medicaid work requirements will go into effect at the end of this year, January 2027, and additional changes like frequent eligibility redeterminations will make it harder for people to stay covered.
Upcoming federal changes that impact the essential plan are projected to cause an estimated 230,000 New York City residents to lose their coverage as well.
At the Health Department, we are determined to intervene and keep as many New Yorkers insured as possible.
I've heard some of the conversations unfold around how do we keep people enrolled in these insurance benefit options, and it's those moments that crystallize the impact of our work.
We are meeting people where they are and helping them navigate some of the most consequential moments of their lives, and we're doing it by the thousands.