Low Cost Health Care Options - Overview

Summary

Residents of New York who are not eligible for public health insurance programs, such as Medicaid, Medicare, Child Health Plus, Veteran’s health care benefits, or who are not covered by an employer-based or union health plan, or who did not purchase a health plan through the NY State of Health Marketplace, or who are underinsured and have incomplete coverage must find a way to pay for health services. This chapter contains information on several resources for such individuals. Resources include:

Hospital Financial Assistance, also called charity care, is a system of hospital discounts available to low-income uninsured or underinsured New Yorkers.
NYC Health and Hospitals is the financial assistance program for hospitals and health centers that are part of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation.
Prescription drug assistance, which include “indigent patient drug programs” available through the company that manufactures the drug.
Community Health Centers (CHC) – clinics funded by the federal (and in some cases state or local) government that provide health services without regard to an individual’s ability to pay. Uninsured patients are billed on a sliding scale based on income.
Low Cost Dental and Vision Care, which is offered in a variety of settings and each provider, has different eligibility and application rules.
Options for the Self-Employed, some professional organizations offer access to group market coverage or to individual market coverage for the self-employed.
Age 26 Dependent Coverage is a federal law that requires private insurers that offer dependent coverage to children to allow young adults, up to age 26, to remain on their parent’s insurance plan.
Dependent Coverage through Age 29is a NYS law that extends the availability of health coverage to young adults through the age of 29. Certain criteria must be met by the parent, the young adult and the plan itself.
Emergency Room Medical Care – Federal and New York State law ensures that everyone, regardless of insurance status, ability to pay, or immigration status, has the right to emergency room medical care.