Essential Plan

As many as 450,000 New Yorkers enrolled in the state's Essential Plan will lose affordable healthcare coverage on July 1 due to federal funding cuts. Those affected earn between $31,920 and $39,900 annually and are losing coverage under policies linked to President Donald.

Olivia Killingsworth, a Brooklyn resident with a rare genetic condition, faces losing her Essential Plan health coverage as New York reverts to a previous eligibility formula, potentially leaving 450,000 low-income residents uninsured. The state’s policy change, triggered by federal legislation, reduces income thresholds for eligibility from 250% to 200% of the federal poverty line.

One year after President Donald Trump signed a tax bill cutting federal spending, New York's safety net is fraying as officials take divergent approaches to address reduced funding for food aid and health care. Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani are allocating funds to support food insecurity, but the state legislature failed to act on health care cuts that could leave 450,000 New Yorkers without insurance.

New Yorkers losing Essential Plan health coverage due to federal regulation changes and budget shortfalls are turning to the market for insurance. Advocates rallied in Albany for legislative solutions, but efforts failed to prevent the loss of premium-free coverage.