NEW YORK—Health care advocates rallied on the steps of City Hall Thursday in the pouring rain, demanding $5 million for a new initiative to connect poor, largely uninsured communities of color with public health insurance.
The initiative, Access Health NYC, would fund many organizations, such as Arab-American Family Support Center and Spanish Speaking Elderly Council-RAICES to connect these non-English-speaking communities with government offerings of health care.
The demand comes just weeks before New York City opens up enrollment for public health insurance a second time, from Nov. 15, 2014 to Feb 15, 2015.
At a hearing held shortly after the rally, the City Council’s Committee on Health found that although last year’s enrollment numbers were high, oftentimes the ones signing up for public health care are people most likely to have known about it, such as the family members of health care workers.
“Last time, we got the low hanging fruit,” said Councilmember Corey Johnson, who chairs the Committee on Health.
He said that this year’s enrollment will be aimed at harder to reach groups—such as undocumented immigrants—requiring an effort like Access Health NYC.
Almost a million people enrolled in coverage the first time, but according to a Committee on Health briefing report, this time won’t be so easy.
Eighty-nine percent of uninsured people have not heard of enrollment opening up in November again.
