Many of you already follow us on Twitter (@hcfany) to get the latest health care updates in New York State and follow our advocacy efforts. If you don’t already, now is a good time to start!

HCFANY is co-hosting a Twitter chat with MomsRising and U.S. Representative Charles Rangel tomorrow. We’ll be talking about healthcare resources for New Yorkers, with a special focus on the Basic Health Program.

DATE: Wednesday, April 23^rd

TIME: 2-3pm ET / 11am-12pm PT

WHERE: On Twitter with the hashtag #WellnessWed

WHO: @HCFANY, @MomsRising, @cbrangel, & YOU

The Basic Health Program, which is part of the Affordable Care Act, gives states the option to provide more affordable, public health coverage to lower-income people whose income is too high to qualify for Medicaid. The New York State legislature recently approved a Basic Health Program in this year’s budget. This is great news for working New Yorkers who struggle to pay the cost of health insurance while juggling rent, utilities and other bills. It’s also good news for our State’s fiscal outlook – the program is projected to save New York $300 million per year once it’s implemented. This is partly because New York State already uses State funds to cover some New Yorkers who will be eligible for the new, mostly federally funded program (e.g. lawfully present immigrants under 138% FPL).

Want to learn more? Have something to add about the Basic Health Program in New York? Make sure to follow @hcfany and #WellnessWed to participate in the conversation. Join in and share your questions, stories, resources and more!