Access to Health Insurance Coverage for Uninsured
SFY 2007-08 Enacted Budget Provisions

The SFY 2007-08 Enacted Budget contains several critical reforms to expand access to health insurance coverage for the 2.6 million uninsured adults and children in New York including: an expansion of the Child Health Plus program, and initiatives to streamline the recertification process and provide 12 months of continuous coverage for eligible adults and children in the Medicaid and Family Health Plus programs.

Approximately 2.6 million New Yorkers remain without health insurance coverage and nearly half of the uninsured are eligible for existing public health insurance programs. The Enacted Budget actions provide access to affordable health insurance for all children and reform the Family Health Plus and Medicaid enrollment processes to make it easier for adults and children to renew and maintain their public health insurance coverage.

Key Elements of the Enacted Budget Provisions:

• Child Health Plus. Subsidized coverage under the Child Health Plus (CHP) program will be expanded from 250 percent to 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) - with cost sharing increased on a graduated basis. As a result of this initiative, all of the nearly 400,000 uninsured children in the State will be provided with access to affordable health care coverage. Cost: $21.7 million in 2007-08 and $84.3 million in 2008-09.
• Streamlined Recertification Process. To encourage the more than 900,000 uninsured adults and children who are eligible for Medicaid and Family Health Plus to enroll, the recertification process will be streamlined to eliminate unnecessary documentation requirements and anti-fraud controls will be put in place. Further, gaps in health insurance coverage will be reduced by providing 12 months of continuous coverage for eligible individuals. Cost: $48.2 million in 2007-08 and $180.6 in 2008-09.
• Public Education and Outreach. Efforts will be enhanced to ensure that eligible individuals take advantage of the State's Medicaid, Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus programs.
• New State Office of Health Insurance Programs. The Enacted Budget establishes a new entity, within the Department of Health, responsible for developing and implementing strategies to improve access to health insurance coverage for the uninsured and providing for an integrated approach to oversight and administration of the Medicaid program.

NOTE: The information on this page is taken from the 2007-2008 Financial Plan.