State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (l.) and Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas
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As we usher in the new year, we are presented with an opportunity to honor a commitment made by Governor Hochul in 2022 – by passing and enacting Coverage for All, a bill that would offer health coverage to low-income undocumented New Yorkers. The federal government has since confirmed the feasibility of funding Coverage for All by using surplus “pass-through” funds generated by a 1332 State Innovation Waiver, meaning there would be no cost to the state. Now, all that is neededis the political will to translate commitment into action.
Acknowledging progress, as of January 1, 2024, the state has begun to provide Medicaid coverage to poor people 65 and older regardless of their immigration status. More strides were made last year, when the state announced it would offer Medicaid to low-income people for 12 months after their pregnancy, regardless of immigration status. And now, in response to the testimony of Coverage for All’s primary sponsor in the Assembly and dozens of health industry and consumer stakeholders at a late November public hearing, the state’s proposal includes coverage for New Yorkers who have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. However, failing to provide healthcare to all who need it was a contributing factor to why so many undocumented New Yorkers died during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Colorado and Washington have already used the 1332 waiver to cover undocumented residents.
The Coverage For All bill is an opportunity for New York to use federal funds that may otherwise go unspent and could offset costs that are currently being shouldered by our State and county governments. The State already provides emergency care to residents of the State through a program known as Emergency Medicaid. Unfortunately, this care is only for when a health condition has hit life-threatening levels. Emergency intervention is…
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