Representative Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Schumer Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Restore Health Coverage for 450,000 New Yorkers

Press Release

Because of Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act, over 450,000 New Yorkers lost Essential Plan coverage.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) led the entire New York Democratic delegation in the introduction of the Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act. The Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act would restore health coverage to the nearly 450,000 New Yorkers who were kicked off of the Essential Plan under the Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

"Congressional Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act represents the largest loss of healthcare in American history. Apart from cutting nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid, this bill specifically targeted New York by gutting the Essential Plan and stripping almost half a million New Yorkers of their health insurance. We must take immediate steps to repeal the harmful impacts of H.R. 1 on New York" said Representative Ocasio-Cortez. "Today, I am introducing the Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act alongside Senator Schumer and the entire New York Democratic Delegation to reinstate federal funding for the New York Essential Plan and ensure that New Yorkers can once again access this critical health program."

"Make no mistake, the 'Big, Ugly Bill' has been a disaster that has left American families sicker, poorer, and less safe," said Leader Schumer. "Republicans promised lower health care costs, but they delivered soaring premiums, sky-high deductibles, and coverage ripped away from millions - all to give billionaires and big corporations a tax cut. In an act of political retribution, Republicans specifically targeted New Yorkers, kicking nearly half a million people off their coverage. Leaving working families with no affordable alternatives isn't policy; it's punishment. And it undermines public health and the health of our vital hospitals and community health centers. We must work to pass this legislation, reverse this cruel policy, and restore health insurance to all New Yorkers."
"H.R. 1 decimated New York's Essential Plan, ripping health insurance coverage from hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and weakening the finances of every hospital in the State. That's why the Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act is so critically important. It would repeal this terrible HR 1 policy and establish a permanent option for expanded basic health plan coverage. New York's hospital community is deeply grateful to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and the New York delegation Democrats for championing this effort to expand health insurance and strengthen New York's health care safety net," said Kenneth E. Raske, President, Greater New York Hospital Association.

"Losing coverage can force patients to delay care, skip medications, or make impossible choices between their health and other basic needs. Community health centers care for everyone who walks through their doors, whether they have insurance or not, and as more New Yorkers lose coverage, the strain on CHCs and their patients grows," said Rose Duhan, president and CEO of the Community Health Care Association of New York State. "Ensuring New Yorkers have coverage helps patients get the care they need, when they need it, from providers they know and trust. CHCANYS is proud to support the Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act."

"HANYS strongly supports the Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act, which would reverse H.R. 1's harmful limitations on New Yorkers' eligibility for this affordable health insurance option and provide states the flexibility to extend this coverage to individuals with incomes up to 250% of the federal poverty line," said Thomas J. Quatroche Jr., PhD, president and CEO, Healthcare Association of New York State. "Affordable health coverage is becoming out of reach for many New Yorkers, and H.R. 1 threatens to leave even more people uninsured. HANYS applauds Senate Minority Leader Schumer and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez for introducing this important bill and for their ongoing dedication to protecting and improving all New Yorkers' access to healthcare coverage and care."

"This legislation would reverse some of the worst harms of H.R. 1 and allow more New Yorkers to access affordable health insurance coverage," said Mitchell Katz, MD President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals. "Our health care system is grateful to Senator Schumer and Representative Ocasio-Cortez for their leadership and commitment to keeping New Yorkers connected to care."

The legislation would repeal the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's premium tax credit eligibility restrictions, fully restoring funding for the Essential Plan. In addition to restoring the program, the legislation would provide all states with the option to expand health coverage through the Affordable Care Act's Basic Health Plan.

This legislation is cosponsored by the entire New York Democratic delegation including: Senator Gillibrand (D-NY), Leader Jeffries (NY-08), and Representatives Clarke (NY-09), Espaillat (NY-13), Gillen (NY-04), Goldman (NY-10), Kennedy (NY-26), Latimer (NY-16), Mannion (NY-22), Meeks (NY-5), Meng (NY-6), Morelle (NY-25), Nadler (NY-12), Riley (NY-19), Ryan (NY-18), Suozzi (NY-3), Tonko (NY-20), Torres (NY-15), and Velázquez (NY-07).

The full bill text is available here.
A one-pager of the bill is available here.

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