The first open enrollment period for NY State of Health has come to a close, and as of April 16, 960,762 New Yorkers were able to get health care plans through the state marketplace. That means there are nearly one million stories of New Yorkers getting affordable, quality health coverage because of the NY State of Health and the ACA.

Here’s one, from Maryanne Tomazic of Raising Women’s Voices – New York:

For Dustin* and Abigail*, NY State of Health meant their family didn’t have to go without coverage before Dustin starts his new job. Dustin and Abigail live with their family of five in a small town in Westchester County. Dustin was hired by a new company, but the transition meant that his family would experience a gap in health care coverage. “COBRA wasn’t a realistic option for us,” Abigail said. “It was too expensive.”

Fortunately, Dustin was able to get health insurance through NY State of Health. He and his daughter Elizabeth* initially filled out the application online, but had trouble reporting his income due to his job transition. They went to a Navigator, who helped correct the problem. “We also wanted to make sure we could still go to the doctors we’ve been going to for years and also to our local hospital, Westchester Medical Center,” said Dustin. “We called our doctor to confirm that the plan we picked included them in their network.” The family’s previous health care plan had been grandfathered by the ACA, so many preventive services still required copays. “I had to pay $86 a month for my birth control pills,” said Elizabeth. “With this new plan, I can now get the contraception I need at no additional cost.”

The family’s new health care plan took effect on April 1, so thanks to the Affordable Care Act and NY State of Health, their family did not experience a gap in coverage. Like the 960,762 New Yorkers, and the over 8 million Americans, who enrolled during this first open enrollment period, they now have an affordable, quality health insurance plan to help them get the care they need!