Low Cost Health Care Options

Residents of New York who are not eligible for public health insurance programs, such as Medicaid, Family Health Plus, Medicare, etc. or who are not covered by an employer-based or union health plan must find other ways to pay for health care. This chapter contains information on several resources for such individuals. These options include:

• Hospital Financial Assistance, also called charity care, is a system of hospital discounts available to low-income uninsured or underinsured New Yorkers.
• Health and Hospital Corporation (HHC) Options 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 29 Dependent Law – Chapter 240 of the Laws of 2009, sometimes called the “Age 29” law may extend the age of dependency and permit eligible young adults through the age of 29 to remain on a parent’s health insurance coverage in the same manner as dependents who are children.
• NY Bridge Plan – the health care reform law created a temporary program until January 2014 that makes health coverage available for individuals who have a pre-existing medical condition.
• 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.