NY State of Health is currently open for enrollment through August 15 because of hardships faced by New Yorkers due to the Novel Coronavirus. And, many New Yorkers will qualify for Medicaid, Child Health Plus or the Essential Plan due to loss of income/employment or reduced wages. Those qualifying for these programs can enroll year-round. 

Specifically, the following was recently announced: 

• Special Enrollment Period for uninsured New Yorkers to apply for coverage through NY State of Health or directly to insurers extended through August 15, 2020 

•If you lost employer coverage, you must apply within 60 days of losing coverage; because of loss of income, New Yorkers may also be eligible for Medicaid, the Essential Plan, subsidized Qualified Health Plans or Child Health Plus 

•Pursuant to the new federal law, Families First Coronavirus Response Act, that went into effect on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, all Medicaid coverage in effect on the date the law was enacted will continue during the COVID-19 emergency. Although some Medicaid enrollees may have already received notices from NY State of Health that their coverage will end on March 31, 2020, the coverage will not end, it will be continued. Any cases terminated after March 18, 2020 during the period of the COVID-19 emergency will be reinstated with no gap in coverage. Additionally, all Medicaid, Child Health Plus and Essential Plan cases that are due for recertification during the COVID-19 emergency period will be automatically renewed for a four-month period. The situation will be re-evaluated to determine if additional changes need to be made. We will be following up with additional guidance soon. In the meantime, please prioritize your outreach to consumers accordingly so that we can all serve those who are most in need. 

The best way for consumers to receive assistance at this time is to phone a navigator or other NY State of Health assistors for help. As always, they can call the Customer Service Center at 1-855-355-5777. By visiting our website, www.nystateofhealth.ny.gov  individuals can find an enrollment assistor and receive enrollment assistance over the phone. We also have a dedicated page on our website for Coronavirus and COVID-19 information. 

The following links will direct consumers to the contact information enrollment assistors and other resources on COVID-19: 

Find a Navigator Here

Find Other NY State of Health Enrollment Assistors

Find Coronavirus and COVID-19 Information Here

Please share this information with your colleagues and those you serve via whatever communication channels you use—online newsletters, social media, etc. You may also feel free to link to information on NY State of Health’s website: www.nystateofhealth.ny.gov.