Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 1 p.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 1
Committee: Committee on Hospitals
The Committee on Hospitals, chaired by Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, held an oversight hearing on the NYC Care program and access to health care for uninsured New Yorkers. Testimony came from NYC Health + Hospitals officials, including Dr. Ted Long and Dr. Jonathan Jimenez, who described the program's roughly 120,000 members, enrollment pathways, appointment access, and preparation for federal Medicaid changes under HR 1 (recertification every six months and work requirements beginning January 1, 2027), which officials estimate could affect up to 900,000 New Yorkers. Council members asked about enrollment trends, capacity, specialty and behavioral health wait times, language access, outreach strategies, telehealth, the H+H integration of MyMount Sinai, and programs like SHOW and Housing for Health. Two public witnesses—a representative of community health centers and a Make the Road New York community health worker supervisor—urged greater investment in safety-net providers and NYC Care outreach. No votes were taken; the committee discussed oversight and support needs.
0:12 Please. Hello. Good afternoon
0:12 and welcome to the hearing for
0:15 the committee on hospitals
0:17 . You, you're here for the
0:18 master. You're on the right
0:21 room. I'm sorry at this time
0:23 01:00 ask, please, everyone,
0:24 please to silence your
0:25 electronic devices. Also at
0:26 this point moving forward. No
0:28 one is to approach the dais
0:29 and also there is no food,
0:30 beverages allowed in the
0:33 hearing will also if you lea
0:34 dto make an in person, uh,
0:35 testimony day, please see one
0:36 .the sergeant at arms here
0:38 today that being said chair,
0:39 we're ready to begin. Thank
0:49 you. Good afternoon. I.
0:50 Am Council Member of
0:52 Mercedes now chair of the
0:54 committee on hospitals. Thank
0:55 . You for joining us today
0:57 , for our oversight hearing on
1:00 examining it needs program and
1:04 access to health care for
1:05 uninsured New yorkers over the
1:09 years New York state has made
1:12 significant progress in
1:13 expanding access to have
1:15 insurance and today has one of
1:18 the lowest on in the nation
1:25 . Through investment in
1:26 medicaid, the essential plan.
1:28 Chow! Help plus and other
1:31 public coverage programs,
1:33 millions of New yorkers have
1:35 gained access to preventive
1:38 care primary care providers,
1:41 prescription medications and
1:43 shipment for chronic
1:45 son even certain populations,
1:54 including immigrants. Well,
1:57 our New arrival
1:58 . Hispanic New yorkers and
2:01 black and many working
2:03 families continue t
2:04 oexperience higher rates of on
2:07 insurance and face barriers t
2:12 oenrollment.
2:12 In and maintaining coverag
2:16 ein New York City a 20 25
2:18 report from the department of
2:19 health and mental hygiene
2:20 found that immigrant adults
2:23 were nearly twice as likely as
2:26 born adults to be uninsured
2:31 . For New yorkers who fall
2:31 through the cracks of the
2:33 traditional insurance system,
2:35 New York City care by health
2:39 hospitals served as a critical
2:41 part of the city's health care
2:46 safety net establish under a
2:48 mere build De blasio.
2:49 The program launched in 2
2:52 019 as a pilot at h and h
2:54 facilities in the bronx and
2:56 has since expanded, providing
3:01 or entered New yorkers with
3:02 low cost and no cost health
3:05 care services, regaressdl of
3:08 insurance income for
3:11 immigration status, including
3:13 primary care specialty care
3:14 services like cardiology
3:17 ,rheumatology, orthopedics and
3:18 put that tree mental health
3:21 and substance abuse of
3:23 services with furrows to
3:26 specialists like social
3:27 workers, therapists and
3:31 psychiatrists obstetric,
3:32 obstetrics and gynecology
3:35 family planning testing in
3:37 treatment, affordable
3:41 medications I care dental care
3:43 emergency services and other
3:46 social support services and
3:48 access to doable medical
3:50 equipment, which is my mus
3:55 . Until eligible. New yorker
3:56 care patients, however,
3:58 broader border cuts to health
4:00 care eligibility at the
4:02 federal level have caused
4:06 approximately 197 bazin, New
4:10 yorkers to lose coverage, get
4:12 that number 197000 New yorkers
4:18 to lose coverage in of 2025,
4:23 president trump sign the one
4:24 big beautiful bill act h r one
4:30 , which included card still,
4:31 federal funding for New york's
4:36 plan beyond essential planned
4:38 reduction. It's on one also
4:42 impulse knew medicaid
4:44 eligibility requirements that
4:46 are expected to take effect on
4:53 January 1 2027, City officials
4:54 estimate that as many as
4:59 900000 New yorkers could be
5:01 affected by that federal
5:04 medicaid changes, which is one
5:05 big ugly bill for us beside a
5:10 recent federal policy changes
5:14 . There are several other
5:15 ongoing barriers that prevent
5:18 eligible City residents from
5:21 enrolling for maintaining
5:21 health insurance coverage
5:25 challenges such as navigating
5:28 complex eligibility rules
5:31 renewal requirements, language
5:33 barriers, limited familiarity
5:34 with the health care system
5:37 unable. I mean unstable
5:40 employment, lack of employer
5:41 sponsored and.
5:42 Housing and security and
5:45 difficulties access, accessing
5:47 enrollment assistance often
5:49 lead to coverage disruption
5:54 , these disrupts disruptions
5:55 in care can have detrimental
6:00 consequences
6:00 . One ensure individuals are
6:01 more likely to delay or skip
6:04 medication and treatment
6:06 because, of course, concerns
6:08 . Leading to higher risk of
6:10 chronic diseases and early
6:16 mortality as a result, New
6:17 yorkers sick care only after
6:21 their conditions have become
6:23 more severe increasing demand
6:26 for emergency departments,
6:28 services and uncompensated
6:30 care, which could place
6:32 additional financial and
6:34 operational sent strand on New
6:35 York city's safety net
6:38 hospitals.
6:39 Which already served a
6:41 disproportionate share of
6:43 medicaid and on patients.
6:46 Preventive care, please. A
6:48 critical role in keeping New
6:50 yorkers healthy and reducing
6:52 the need for costly emergency
6:57 interventions. We call I
6:57 tpennywise dollar foolish
7:00 . Last week during the
7:01 committee's john hearing an
7:03 ambulance response times we
7:05 heard first hint about the
7:07 significant strength already
7:08 facing the city's emergency
7:14 department workforce, ensuring
7:15 that residents can enroll in
7:17 and mention have coverage is
7:19 an important part of
7:22 addressing these challenges as
7:24 access to preventive and
7:25 primary care can help reduce
7:28 avoidable emergency room
7:30 visits and ease pressure on a
7:32 brother healthcare system
7:37 . Continued investment in
7:38 programs that support
7:40 enrollment and re enrollment
7:41 in health care coverage will
7:44 be.
7:45 Essential to strengthening
7:46 New York city's health care
7:49 safety net as New York, faces
7:50 a period of uncertainty in
7:53 health care coverage
7:55 understanding how, how New
7:56 York City care is serving on
7:59 in and how the City can
8:02 stripping it's healthier
8:03 safety net would be more
8:04 important than ever. I look
8:08 forward to these tests. I know
8:09 the room is not as crowded as
8:11 expected, because this is a
8:14 big deal testimonies will help
8:17 us right
8:17 . To here we today will be
8:19 hearing from some share old
8:22 stakeholders and shareholders,
8:23 of course, the opportunity t
8:25 oexpand awareness of the
8:26 program and amy policy
8:30 apparition alone or out which
8:31 investment that be needed t
8:34 oensure New York City care
8:36 continues to mean they evolve
8:38 needs of New yorkers
8:41 . Before I conclude I would
8:42 like to thank committee
8:44 counsel rain ali palacio
8:47 manure, but financial analysts
8:49 staff for all they were. Did
8:53 you, especially in the
8:54 district office. I want to say
8:56 thanks, sued, deputy chief
8:58 Frank she machina lo and of
9:00 course, my dear fellow, that's
9:03 matthew Lee. Thank you for
9:04 being here, I would like t
9:06 oturn it over to the committee
9:09 counsel to administer the oath
9:11 witness from the
9:11 administration. Thank you,
9:14 rena.
9:14 Good afternoon. We will now
9:15 hear testimony from the
9:16 administration before we begin
9:18 , I'll administer the
9:19 affirmation. Panelists, if you
9:20 could raise your right hands
9:21 .I will read the affmatiiron
9:22 once and then ask each of you
9:23 individually to respond. Do
9:27 you affirm to tell the truth,
9:28 the whole truth and nothing
9:29 but the truth in your
9:30 testimony before this
9:31 committee and to respond
9:33 honestly to counsel members
9:37 questions? I do. Okay. Thank
9:38 you as a reminder for all of
9:39 our witnesses. You could
9:40 please state your name prior
9:42 to testimony for the record.
9:48 Thank you. Okay. Thank you for
9:51 this
9:51 . My name is dr ted long.
9:52 I'm a primary care doctor in
9:54 the bronx and our system,
9:55 chief medical officer for
9:57 clinical services and
9:58 population health at New York
9:58 City health and hospitals
10:02 . Good afternoon. Sure women
10:03 are see some members of the
10:05 committee on hospitals to the
10:07 bird. I'm joined today by
10:08 doctor jonathan jimenez,
10:09 executive director of care and
10:12 a family physician at New York
10:12 City health and hospitals,
10:13 gotham health come around.
10:16 It's exciting for me to share
10:17 with you today. Why cares has
10:19 received national recognition
10:20 for its impact on health
10:22 equity and impact this program
10:23 has had on New yorkers at New
10:25 York City health and hospilsta
10:28 . Our focus is on being a
10:29 fully integrated health system
10:30 that enables New yorkers t
10:32 olive their healthiest lives as
10:34 we see health care access
10:36 changing rapidly due to shifts
10:37 at the national level with the
10:38 implementation of hr. One h h
10:41 is committed to excellence in
10:42 health care innovating t
10:43 oincrease awareness of the
10:44 importance of preventive
10:45 health care while making it as
10:47 affordable and accessible as
10:48 possible for New yorkers
10:51 typically excluded. This is
10:54 where characters.
10:55 In 20 19 care launched in
10:56 the bronx before expanding t
10:57 oall five boroughs in 20 20
10:59 with
10:59 . The goal of bringing health
11:00 care access membership program
11:02 that guarantees low cost and
11:04 no cost services to New
11:05 yorkers who do not qualify it
11:07 or cannot afford health
11:08 insurance based on federal
11:12 guidelines. This program is
11:12 the nation's largest and most
11:14 comprehensive initiative to
11:15 guarantee health care,
11:16 regardless of immigration
11:17 status or ability to pay and
11:19 brings direct access to New
11:20 York City health and hospitals
11:21 . The nation's largest public
11:22 health care system.
11:25 Today sure has has
11:26 approximately 120000 members
11:31 and individuals considered
11:31 eligible if they do not
11:32 qualify for
11:33 . Or otherwise cannot afford
11:35 private health insurance based
11:36 on federal income guidelines
11:38 to learn more about their
11:39 eligibility and get enrolled
11:40 New yorkers can meet with the
11:41 New York City health and
11:42 hospitals financial counselor
11:46 . Visit one of our 20
11:47 community based organizations
11:49 or call center at 6 4 6 care.
11:54 Once enrolled their covered
11:56 services on a sliding scale at
11:58 our facilities, which includes
11:59 our 11 hospitals and all of
12:00 our gotham community health
12:04 centers since is not healt
12:05 hinsurance. There are no
12:06 premiums, deductibles or co
12:08 pays
12:08 . New patients are offered a
12:09 primary care appointment
12:10 within two weeks at one of our
12:11 health and hospitals
12:15 ,locations
12:16 , secure member skiing access
12:16 t ononly to primary care and
12:18 preventive care services, but
12:19 the.
12:19 Full slate of specialty care
12:21 of health, health and
12:23 hospitals offers. This
12:23 includes routine screenings
12:25 ,mammograms and services such
12:26 as obstetrics and gynecology
12:28 care, dental care behavior
12:29 ,health care and I care
12:32 . Members can have visits wit
12:33 hany provider within our
12:35 network.
12:35 Within behavioral healthcare
12:36 services services include
12:37 mental health and substance
12:38 use treatment as well as
12:40 access to telehealth and
12:41 virtual express care members
12:44 have access to 24 7 to it 24 7
12:47 members service hotline in
12:48 over 300 languages and
12:50 dialects by calling the same
12:52 secure number that they have
12:53 used to enroll. Members also
12:56 have access to affordabl
12:57 eprescription benefits and 24 7
13:02 pharmacy access.
13:02 As of 20 25 low cost or no
13:08 cost prescribed or durable
13:09 medical equipment for the
13:11 medical conditions.
13:11 A benefit that over 20500
13:12 members have utilized during
13:13 its first year, accessing high
13:17 quality, affordable health
13:18 care services that put
13:19 patients first should not be a
13:21 challenge secure aims to make
13:22 that to make it as seamless as
13:26 possible.
13:26 Secure meets New yorkers
13:27 where they are to bring
13:27 exceptional health care
13:28 services to all
13:30 . Since its launch cars had
13:32 over 1 million community
13:34 outreach interactions and
13:35 collaboration with contracted
13:36 c throughout the five borough
13:40 s. Additionally, care members
13:41 have completed over 1 million
13:42 primary care appointments,
13:46 peer reviewed studies have
13:47 shown that New care members
13:49 and New medicaid enrollees
13:51 show comparable utilization of
13:52 primary care and specialty
13:55 care
13:56 . More importantly, the two
13:56 groups show the same level of
13:58 chronic disease control above
14:02 all health and hospitals is
14:03 focused on keeping New yorkers
14:04 engaged in preventive health
14:06 services, which not only has
14:07 positive impacts on New
14:08 yorkers long term health, but
14:09 also for h and h data shows
14:12 that even when members become
14:13 eligible for health insurance
14:14 and candice enrolled from car
14:16 e, they stay engaged inare c h
14:20 and h over the last five years
14:20 New York City health and
14:22 hospitals have seen
14:23 substantial growth in primary
14:25 care with.
14:25 Over 70000 New primary care
14:30 patients today, New York City
14:31 health and hospitals has more
14:32 patients than primary care
14:33 than in the history of our
14:36 system. This has been made
14:37 possible through initiatives
14:39 including expanding primary
14:40 care physicians abilities t
14:41 osee more patients, allowing
14:43 for more New patient access
14:44 increasing from500 1patients
14:47 for full time provider
14:49 02:17:50 adding to our
14:50 staffing model to ensure the
14:51 primary care physicians seen
14:52 more patients does not impact
14:54 access to timely care, which
14:56 means increasing the care team
14:57 so
14:57 . The patients can get their
15:00 care inside and outside the
15:01 clinic from team members that
15:03 include their primary care
15:04 doctor. Advanced practitioners
15:05 that work directly with their
15:08 doctors chronic disease nurses
15:10 , chronic disease at a
15:11 clinical, pharmacists, social
15:12 workers and community health
15:16 workers using timed data
15:16 driven clinic flood opening
15:17 tools to ensure the highest
15:19 utilization possible for
15:20 primary care providers has
15:22 also increased access, finally
15:23 focusing on reducing no shows
15:26 through is that no
15:27 appointments go unused,
15:29 including changes to the
15:31 telephone call reminder
15:32 systems. Both the message
15:33 itself as well as the timing
15:33 of the messaging