What's happening
This bill directs the health commissioner to seek federal approval to allow undocumented immigrants to buy unsubsidized health insurance on New York's marketplace.
Why it matters
Expanding access to health coverage. By allowing undocumented immigrants to buy health insurance on the state marketplace (even without subsidies), the bill could help more people get covered, potentially reducing the number of uninsured individuals in New York.
Impact on public health and healthcare costs. Increasing the number of insured residents—regardless of immigration status—may lead to better health outcomes overall and could reduce uncompensated care costs that hospitals and taxpayers currently absorb when uninsured individuals seek emergency treatment.
Administrative and federal hurdles. The bill relies on obtaining a federal waiver, highlighting the intersection of state innovation and federal immigration and healthcare policy, and could set a precedent for other states seeking similar flexibility.
Marketplace stability and insurance pool. Allowing more people to buy into the insurance marketplace could broaden the risk pool, which might benefit the overall stability of the state's insurance market, though without subsidies, affordability for individuals may still be a challenge.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Let Immigrants Buy Insurance
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Let Immigrants Buy Health Insurance
In Senate Committee · Health · Sponsor Marisol Alcantara
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5962
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 17, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. CRESPO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to direct the commissioner of health to seek a waiver from the federal government in relation to authorizing undocumented immigrants to purchase unsubsidized health insurance through the New York state of health marketplace
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The commissioner of health is hereby directed to seek all federal waivers and other federal approvals from the United States department of health and human services or other appropriate federal department in order to authorize undocumented immigrants to purchase unsubsidized health insurance through the New York state of health marketplace.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06910-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.