If this is an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Emergency rooms in New York are required to screen and stabilize you regardless of your insurance status or ability to pay.
What this site is
NYC Med News publishes information about how health care access works in New York City: insurance programs, costs, billing, patient rights, and where care is available.
What this site is not
Not medical advice. Nothing here diagnoses a condition, recommends or discourages a treatment, or tells you whether your symptoms require care. Those questions belong to a licensed clinician who can examine you.
Not legal advice. We describe rights created by New York and federal law in plain language. That description is not a substitute for a lawyer, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship. For help with a specific dispute, contact a legal services organization or an attorney.
Not insurance advice. We are not brokers, navigators, or agents. We do not enroll anyone in anything and receive no commission from any plan. For enrollment help, NY State of Health maintains a free network of certified navigators and brokers.
Accuracy and timing
Coverage rules, income thresholds, deadlines, prices, and practice details change — sometimes with little notice and sometimes retroactively. We date everything we publish and re-verify regularly, but you should always confirm current details directly with the program, hospital, or practice before acting. Insurance participation in particular changes constantly; no directory, including ours, can be relied on in place of a phone call.
About outside links
We link to government agencies, health systems, medical practices, and other organizations as sources or as places to get help. A link is not an endorsement, and we do not control what is on those sites.
Affiliation
NYC Med News is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with the City of New York, NYC Health + Hospitals, the New York State Department of Health, NY State of Health, or any insurer, hospital system, or medical practice.
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- Which Health Program Are You Likely Eligible For in New York? — Answer five questions and see which New York health coverage programs are open to you — Medicaid, the Essential Plan, Child Health Plus, NYC Care, marketplace plans. Runs in your browser.
This page explains how the system works. It is not medical advice. More.