In light of the continuing pandemic, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Thursday that the open enrollment period for uninsured New Yorkers will be extended from the original Jan. 31 deadline through March 31. Residents can apply for coverage using NY State of Health, New York's official health plan marketplace, at nystateofhealth.ny.gov, by phone at 1-855-355-5777, or directly through insurers.
"Ensuring all New Yorkers have access to health insurance is essential, not only as we continue to fight the war against Covid, but to foster healthier, more resilient, and more equitable communities as we rebuild post-pandemic," Governor Cuomo said in a statement. "By extending this deadline until March, New Yorkers who need health coverage will have additional time to enroll and find the plan that works best for themselves and their families."
The March 31 extension aligns New York with the federal public health emergency that was recently extended to April 20, according to the release. This extension allows people eligible for Qualified Health Plan insurance to have additional time to enroll for coverage in 2021. Enrollment will also remain open for all NY State of Health programs.
Those who enroll by Feb. 15 will have coverage starting March 1; registration by March 15 yields coverage starting April 1, and by March 31, coverage starts May 1.
Anyone eligible for other NY State of Health programs like Medicaid, Essential Plan, and Child Health Plus can still enroll year round.