Coverage 4 all
Coverage4All (C4A) is a campaign that aims to create a statewide health insurance product for New Yorkers who are excluded from eligibility for health coverage because of their immigration status, starting with those most directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. A campaign of Health Care for All New York (HCFANY), Coverage4All is led by Make the Road New York and the New York Immigration Coalition; and is a coalition of community members, community organizations, advocates, and legal services and health providers who serve and represent directly impacted communities.
This year’s C4A legislative and budget request is to allocate $345 million in the New York State budget to create a state-funded Essential Plan for ALL New Yorkers with income up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) who are currently excluded from health insurance because of their immigration status (introduced as A880A/S1572A).
What is the problem Coverage4All is seeking to address?
Currently, 154,000 immigrant New Yorkers, many of whom are low-income, have few, if any health insurance options. They cannot qualify for Medicaid, the current Essential Plan, or subsidized Qualified Health Plans coverage on the New York State of Health online marketplace. The only options they currently have are Medicaid during pregnancy, or Emergency Medicaid, a program that will only cover emergency hospital care that stabilizes an acute medical condition with no follow-up care. This situation is not only harmful to their personal health, but it also puts a tremendous strain on their families and our hospitals, and it exacerbates the public health crises in our communities, such as the COVID-19 pandemic that is still ongoing across New York, our nation, and the world.
Who would benefit from a State-funded Essential Plan?
New York State residents independent of their immigration status with income up to 200% of the FPL would benefit. Immigrants make up 54% of essential workers in NY, and 70% of New York’s undocumented labor force work in essential businesses, that have helped sustain our communities during the pandemic. Ongoing exposure of these essential workers has contributed to disparate health outcomes, which further highlights the urgency for access to health insurance.
“LSA’s mission for over 65th years has been to improve the health of our community members, and If we could change one thing about our Nation’s health care system, We would make free health care accessible to all.” Health is a human right, and our government should ensure this right! New York State can do better to protect this right for all of us, regardless of immigration status.
Many of our community members do not have health insurance, and many have had to forego medical attention, such as regular health screenings, surgery, prescription medicines, and dental and vision screenings, because of the high cost of medical visits. We need universal health care financed by the taxes we already pay, including undocumented immigrants; please help us by supporting” – Melina Gonzalez – Community Engagement Manager