One of Schuyler Center’s core policy beliefs – backed by data — is that public investments in the wellbeing of the youngest New Yorkers and their caregivers bring significant benefits, both in the near term and in the decades that follow.
Among our top policy goals is robust, uninterrupted health coverage for young children and new parents. When a child has uninterrupted health insurance coverage, parents can access regular check-ups, scheduled vaccines, and preventive health services for their child, setting them up for a healthy start. (For more on this, see our one-pager: Keeping the Youngest New Yorkers Insured.)
Medicaid and Child Health Plus (CHP) provide coverage for nearly half of New York children. These are public insurance programs funded by federal, state, and local dollars. Gaps in coverage are problematic for children for many reasons—missed checkups, untreated asthma, and conditions that become severe when they could have been prevented.
Along with our partners at Medicaid Matters New York, Schuyler Center has advocated for continuous health coverage for young children, eliminating the need to reenroll every year.
This Year’s Win
During the 2024 New York State Legislative Session, the enacted State budget included authorization for the State to seek a federal waiver to allow Medicaid and CHP to provide continuous coverage for the youngest New Yorkers, from birth to age six.
If approved, this policy change will provide New York with federal matching funds for a free/low-cost policy option for young children that will reap many benefits for our state, including:
- Greater health equity. Continuous coverage protections advance health equity by ensuring continuity of treatment for low-income children and children of color, who disproportionately experience health disparities.
- Better child and family health. Continuity of coverage supports proven pediatric interventions, including developmental screening, prevention, and family-oriented two-generation services.
- Reduced costs for families and lower administrative costs. Cycling on and off Medicaid/CHP burdens families with out-of-pocket expenses and stressful deadlines; it also results in higher administrative costs for the state, insurers, and providers.
- Stabilized preventive and pediatric health care systems. Gaps in children’s coverage strain the finances of the primary care and pediatric infrastructure of our state. These providers already work long hours for lower reimbursement rates. Ensuring that their patients have continuous coverage will uplift this vital component of our healthcare system.
Continuous Medicaid and CHP coverage is a big win for children and families across the state and ensures that New York will remain a leader in providing affordable, comprehensive health insurance coverage for children.
Schuyler Center is grateful for the leadership of Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas and State Senator Samra Brouk who sponsored and championed this bill, and Governor Kathy Hochul, who included it in the Executive Budget.
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