With the end of the public health emergency, millions of low-income people across the country may soon lose Medicaid, and hundreds of thousands of people in other states already have. Some are losing eligibility, while others will be pushed out by bureaucratic procedures. 

We partnered with the Center for Popular Democracy, People’s Action and our Make the Road sister organizations across five states to survey thousands of Medicaid recipients in the face of this looming crisis. Read our new report here.

A key takeaway here in New York: over 50% of Medicaid recipients are not aware that they will need to renew their coverage when the public health emergency ends. 

Our full report shares the results of the survey and recommendations for how our state can move forward. New York must: 

• Undergo a widespread public health effort to reach Medicaid recipients about the need to reapply
• Expand eligibility so that more low-income people can continue to access Medicaid
• Remove barriers that make it difficult to apply, such as long wait times 
• Expand coverage to the 250,000 people in our state who can’t access any medical coverage at all due to their immigration status

TAKE ACTION: At Make the Road NY, we’re fighting hard to ensure Albany includes Coverage for All legislation this session which would expand the Essential Plan to include all low-income immigrants, regardless of immigration status. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed that federal 1332 pass-through funding can be used to pay for immigrant coverage. Take a minute to help us call Speaker Carl Heastie to bring this victory for our members!

Thanks for your support which makes work like this possible as we fight for a healthier and more just New York. 

In solidarity,