Health Care for All New York (HCFANY) is a statewide coalition of over 170 organizations dedicated to securing quality, affordable health coverage for all. New York has cut the number of uninsured people in half since 2010. Despite this remarkable feat, there are still over 1 million uninsured New Yorkers. Many New Yorkers find health care unaffordable even with health insurance. New Yorkers continue to experience racial, ethnic, and other disparities in access to health care and health outcomes. HCFANY’s 2024 policy agenda seeks to set New York on a path toward universal coverage that is affordable, comprehensive, and equitable. 

Medical Debt

Over 740,000 New Yorkers have medical debt. The 5 State-operated hospitals have sued over 16,000 patients since 2019 while collecting over $530 million annually in DSH funds for their uncompensated care costs. The Stop SUNY Suing Act (A8170|S7778) would bar these suits.

Improve Health Coverage

Around one million New Yorkers remain uninsured, including 245,000 people excluded from existing coverage programs because they are immigrants. Still others are underinsured, facing high out-of-pocket costs.

• The Coverage4All Act (A3020B|S2237B) would seek federal funding to cover 150,000 income-eligible immigrants in the Essential Plan. It would also save over $400 million in State Emergency Medicaid.
• Enact the NY Health Act so that everyone has access to affordable quality health care without fear of medical debt.

Consumer Assistance

The end of the public health emergency has changed eligibility and renewal processes for over 8 million New Yorkers. People need help managing these changes without disruptions in coverage or care.

• The Community Health Advocates (CHA) program provides post-enrollment assistance to 36,000 New Yorkers annually, saving them over $35 million. New York should fund CHA at $5.5 million.
• Navigators have helped over 300,000 New Yorkers enroll since 2013 without ever receiving a cost-of-living increase. New York should increase Navigator funding to maintain service levels and create a grant program to fund community-based organizations to conduct outreach in communities with high rates of uninsured people.