On May 10, 2023, NYHealth hosted a webinar on the collective action needed to make sure New York’s coverage gains are preserved. Speakers discussed their efforts to keep New Yorkers enrolled, as well as the strategies, tools, and information needed to reach New Yorkers who must take action to renew their insurance.
In March 2020, the United States declared a public health emergency and enacted historic COVID-19 relief legislation. It increased Medicaid funding to states contingent on several conditions, including a continuous coverage requirement that prohibited states from terminating Medicaid enrollees’ coverage until after the public health emergency had ended. Insurance coverage rates in New York are now at a record high, with more than 9 million New Yorkers enrolled in public coverage, including more than 1.4 million who enrolled for the first time during the pandemic.
The federal government has since rolled back the continuous coverage requirement for all states. In April 2023, New York is resuming the process of reassessing eligibility and renewing coverage for all eligible Medicaid, Essential Plan, and Child Health Plus enrollees over the next 14 months.
The New York State Department of Health has implemented an extensive planning effort, deployed a broad public education and marketing campaign, and prepared enrollment systems for this massive undertaking. The State-funded Navigator and facilitated enroller network, which has helped hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers enroll in or renew coverage over the past decade, is also ramping up to help New Yorkers stay covered.
Speakers were:
- Danielle Holahan, Executive Director, NY State of Health Marketplace;
- Marci Goldstein, Director of Communications, NY State of Health Marketplace, NYS Office of Health Insurance Programs;
- Sara Santini, Program Specialist Contract Coordinator, Community Service Society of New York; and
- Juan Carlos Grajeda, Bilingual Program Manager, Emerald Isle Immigration Center.
Watch the webinar recording here. The presenter slides are available below.