The Brian Lehrer Show What Options for Essential Plan Coverage?
Apr 16, 2026
Elisabeth Benjamin, VP of Health Initiatives at Community Service Society and policy advocate, and Caroline Lewis, health care reporter for WNYC/Gothamist, discuss looming eligibility changes to New York’s Essential Plan after federal funding cuts. They outline who stands to lose coverage, the timeline and costs to backfill funding, and policy options and resources people can use to respond.
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Half Million New Yorkers Could Lose Essential Plan
- The Essential Plan will lose about 450,000 enrollees when the income cap is lowered and federal immigrant funding ends on July 1.
- That cohort earns roughly $31k–$39k and would face marketplace premiums up to $250/month and $2,500+ deductibles, making coverage unaffordable.
Federal Bill Removed Half Of Essential Plan Funding
- H.R. 1 (the One Big Beautiful Act) cut federal funding for certain legally present immigrants, removing about $7.5 billion in funding for the Essential Plan.
- New York chose to revert the program to an earlier income limit to access a state trust fund and preserve part of the program.
Budget Choices Can Keep People Covered For Modest Cost
- The state can maintain coverage by offering a $50/month premium or by fully backfilling costs; $393 million would cover many, while $1.5 billion would preserve free coverage this year.
- Advocates urge using $2.4 billion set aside in the budget as a coverage lockbox to fund the fix.