INTRODUCTION
All things are not equal when it comes to health in the Empire State. Fortunately, the passage of national health reform has created numerous opportunities for addressing these disparities and improving the chances for all New Yorkers to live healthy lives.
Many mechanisms under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) aimed at health disparities depend on action on the state level. In New York, policymakers have taken advantage of a number of these opportunities, and they should be applauded for such decisions. Yet, there remains more that leaders in New York can do to promote health equity in our state.
This white paper recommends a number of steps the state can take in the coming years, primarily through the new state exchange formed under the ACA in 2012, which was named “NY State of Health: The Official Health Plan Marketplace” in August 2013. (We refer to it below as “New York State of Health,” “NYSOH” or “The Marketplace.”) The list in this white paper is by no means comprehensive. New York’s first year of Marketplace enrollment — which began in October 2013 — will provide extremely valuable information for determining what additional steps must be taken. New York should use all means to address health disparities and become a model for the nation.