About 450,000 to lose health coverage

The passing of the Trump administration’s Big Beautiful Bill has led to fewer federal dollars flowing to the Empire State’s Essential Plan, a zero-premium and low-copayment healthcare program. The plan provided coverage to legal immigrants and people with low incomes and was expanded in 2024 to cover New Yorkers who made up to 250 percent of the national poverty level, which was nearly two times higher than the Medicaid limit.

With fewer subsidies due to President Trump’s bill, also known as HR 1, Gov. Hochul had to scramble to maintain some form of coverage for New Yorkers or about 1.8 million would have lost their healthcare come July 1.

HR 1 is expected to result in the state losing $10 billion to $13.5 billion in annual funding when all provisions of the law are fully implemented by 2032, according to the New York State Bar Association.

On March 11, Politico confirmed that the state received partial federal approval for the plan from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services if it agreed to roll back its expansion, which meant about 450,000 people, more than 2 percent of New Yorkers, will no longer have coverage as it will go back to only covering people of lower incomes and legal immigrants, the latter who make up the bulk of recipients.

By dropping 450,000 from the health plan, the state will be able to tap into a $9 billion surplus that it was able to collect through past federal aid equal to 95 percent of the tax credits enrollees otherwise would have received if they bought insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchange. That means there will be coverage for about 1.3 million who remain on the program for about two to three years until the surplus runs out, according to the outlet.

The Chronicle reached out to NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst about what that would mean for its patients and the hospital itself.

A spokeswoman for the NYC H+H network said it would serve all patients regardless of ability to pay or health insurance status.

“If a patient does not have health insurance, our financial counselors will help them determine if they are eligible for insurance,” said the spokeswoman. “If they aren’t eligible for health insurance, they can sign up for NYC Care, the health care access program.”

Other area hospitals declined to comment on the situation.

The Community Service Society of New York, which is advocating for everyone to remain covered, believes the cost would be $2.2 billion, according to Syracuse.com. The CSS is the architect of a rescue plan, sponsored by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale) and state Sen. Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx), who are health committee chairs for their respective chambers.

Gustavo’s bill, S.9589, would amend the social services law to ensure continuity of coverage for those who will be dropped from their plan in July. Paulin’s companion bill number is pending.

The bill has been sent to the Senate Health Committee and has support from Queens electeds such as Sens. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Woodhaven), Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), Kristen Gonzalez (D-Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn), John Liu (D-Bayside), Jessica Ramos (D-Jackson Heights), Roxanne Persaud (D-Brooklyn, Queens), James Sanders Jr. (D-South Ozone Park) and Toby Ann Stavisky (D-College Point) and 27 others from throughout the state.

About 450,000 to lose health coverage

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