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Federal Health Care Reform

Federal Health Care Reform will bring many changes to New York’s health care programs.  On this page you will find articles and resources authored by the Empire Justice Center related to topics such as federally required changes in Medicaid eligibility, and proposals for structuring New York’s  State Health Insurance Exchange, through which New Yorkers will access both public health insurance and federal subsidies for private coverage starting in 2014.  We also encourage you to visit NYHealthAccess, a relatively new website co-sponsored by Empire Justice, the Legal Aid Society of New York City, and Selfhelp, Inc.  NYHealthAccess will provide you with a additional materials related to Federal Health Care Reform. 

 


ARTICLES

A Health Care Language Access Success Story
A story with attached, illustrative correspondence, describing how Empire Justice Center staff formed a coalition of advocates to move a local hospital to provide comprehensive language services to its growing LEP community. Read More

NYS Hospital Financial Assistance Law
Hospitals Must Provide Charity Care Assistance Program
Charity care refers to free or low cost care provided by hospitals to uninsured or underinsured patients. New York State has provided significant state funding to hospitals for charity care since 1983, but it wasn't until 2007 that hospitals were actually required to provide charity care to uninsured patients under the Hospital Financial Assistance Law. Read More

Resources for Uninsured and Underinsured
Effective January 1, 2007, all general hospitals must establish written policies and procedures for the provision of financial assistance to reduce the hospital bills of low income New Yorkers who are uninsured or underinsured. Read More


Federal Health Care Reform: Articles


IN THE NEWS

Report Presents “Immigrant Eligibility Crosswalk” and Urges Continued Advances in Immigrant Access to Health Care as NY Implements Insurance Exchange
Today, Empire Justice Center released a report that chronicles immigrant access to health care in New York and zeros in on significant advancements to come with the new State Health Insurance Exchange. Read More

Significant Victories in State Budget to Benefit Struggling New Yorkers
After an initial review of the budget agreement struck by the Governor and Legislative leaders this week, the Empire Justice Center declared victory on several important initiatives that will have a positive impact on New Yorkers who are struggling financially. Read More


Federal Health Care Reform: In the News


POLICY ADVOCACY

Empire Justice Memo of Support: Support Transparency and Accountability in Charity Care Funding
This year, if the charity care allocation methodology does not change, New York could lose hundreds of millions in federal DSH funding. Read More

Comments to the US Department of Health on Charity Care
Empire Justice and the Commission on the Public's Health System submit joint comments on the federal regulations governing the distribution of Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital Payments. Read More


Federal Health Care Reform: Policy Advocacy


PUBLICATIONS

New York’s Exchange Portal: A Gateway to Coverage for Immigrants
Health Insurance Exchanges have the potential to eliminate many existing barriers to health insurance coverage for low-income workers facing reductions in salaries and benefits. Immigrant families, whose incomes tend to be lower to begin with, have been particularly hard hit by escalating health care costs. National figures from 2010 indicate that 75% of workers in noncitizen families were in traditional blue collar jobs, as compared to 60% of workers from citizen families. The average median annual income for noncitizens was $25,000, roughly half the amount for citizen households. In New York, home to 4.3 million immigrants, noncitizens are over three times as likely as citizens to lack health insurance. Read More

 

Holes in the Safety Net: Access to Charity Care on Long Island
Our latest report finds that almost one-half of the 23 hospitals surveyed failed to provide family members of seriously ill, uninsured patients with the information they needed to get financial assistance in advance of medical emergencies. Read More

 


NEWSLETTERS

Policy Matters April 2012
Empire Justice Center’s newsletter focused solely on policy. This inaugural issue will focus on the recently passed state budget and how it will affect lower income New Yorkers, including people at risk of foreclosure, health care consumers, people with disabilities and those needing civil legal services. Read More

Legal Services Journal - Summer 2009 Issue
The Summer 2009 issue of the Legal Services Journal has a wide range of articles. With a highlight on Empire Justice Center's legislative outcomes and articles on Child Care, Civil Rights, Community Development, Consumer, Disability Benefits, Domestic Violence, Employment, Health, Housing, Immigrant Rights, Language Access and Public Benefits. Read More