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John,
Yesterday, we mobilized to Albany with our members and allies to demand New York lead the nation toward equal healthcare access by passing Coverage4All.
If the last three years of this pandemic have taught us anything, it’s that the United States is embarrassingly behind in implementing accessible healthcare infrastructure that saves lives and protects the health of all its residents. How can our country be viewed as a global leader when its leaders refuse to prioritize the wellbeing of every person who lives here?
Why Now?
There are over 154,000 uninsured, low-income New Yorkers who are ineligible for coverage because of their immigration status — that means over 154,000 people are choosing to forgo seeking medical attention in fear of accruing massive medical debt that could put their households at risk. New York needs to pick up where federal policies fall short and lead nationally on immigrant healthcare issues by enacting a state-funded Essential Plan for immigrants. There’s no better protection against a pandemic and ensuring the health of our workforce than making affordable healthcare available to all New Yorkers, regardless of legal status and age.
Last year, we won the crucial expansion of Medicaid for immigrant seniors and postpartum women. Now it’s time to make sure that legal status and age are no longer barriers to receiving care. Listen to Mia from Rise Up! Women in Action describe the challenges her husband has experienced working as a construction worker without medical coverage.
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