One of the bills that will make its way to the Governor’s desk this summer will protect infants who qualify for Child Health Plus, the state’s free or low cost health insurance program for children, from a coverage gap at birth.

Currently, a family must enroll a child after the child’s birth and coverage begins up to 45 days later. This gap in coverage is an unnecessary stressor on a family that should be able to focus on welcoming their new child. Any gap in coverage forces infants to go without much needed care and places financial strain on low and moderate income families.

The legislation that recently passed both houses of the legislature (A7155B/S4745B) makes an important change by allowing for coverage to begin on the date of a child’s birth when their parent enrolls the baby in coverage prior to their birth or within 60 days of the birth.

Governor Cuomo must still sign the bill for it to become law. HCFANY urges the Governor to sign A7155B/S4745B to assure that babies eligible for Child Health Plus have health coverage right from the start.