Resources Health care and insurance
Insurance: Medicaid, the Essential Plan and NY State of Health
Which public insurance you can get in New York State depending on your status, how to apply for free, and what changes because of the federal law H.R.1 (the "One Big Beautiful Bill", signed July 4, 2025).
Information as of November 2026. The rules change in 2026 and 2027: ask an enrollment counselor about your own case.
Start here
- If you have applied for asylum and your income is low, you can get free insurance: Medicaid or the Essential Plan. Apply at nystateofhealth.ny.gov.
- Before you give up a benefit because of a future green card application, ask an immigration lawyer whether the public charge rule applies to you.
- Keep your address and phone number up to date in NY State of Health (NYSOH) and open every letter from it: the rules change again on January 1, 2027.
Public and private insurance in the state go through one official website, NY State of Health (NYSOH).
Medicaid
Any statusFree
Free insurance for people with a low income: doctors, hospital, medicines, eyes, teeth and mental health. No monthly premium; some services have small copays. You can apply any day of the year. Not every immigrant can get full Medicaid, but pregnant people and people 65 and older qualify whatever their status. Medicaid can also pay bills for care you got before you applied.
Essential Plan
Asylum applicantsWith a work permit (EAD)Granted asylumGreen cardFree
A state plan with no monthly premium and no deductible: dental and vision, hospital, medicines, free preventive care. For state residents aged 19–64 who are lawfully in the US, don't qualify for Medicaid or Child Health Plus, and have no other insurance. Yearly income limits in 2026: $31,920 for one person, $43,280 for two, $54,640 for three, $66,000 for four. You can apply any day of the year.
Child Health Plus
Any statusFree
A state plan for children under 19, with no deductible or copays. The monthly premium depends on income and family size; on a low income there is none. You can apply any day of the year. According to the Community Service Society guide, children can get Child Health Plus whatever their status.
Qualified Health Plans (paid plans on NY State of Health)
Any statusPaid
If your income is above the Essential Plan limit, you can buy an insurance company's plan through NYSOH, sometimes with a discount on the premium (premium tax credit). All these plans cover doctors, hospital, medicines and mental health, accept people with chronic illness and give some preventive care free. Enrollment for 2027: November 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027; for coverage from January 1, sign up by December 15. In 2027, 11 companies offer plans. From January 1, 2027 some lawfully present immigrants lose the discount.
Based on the Community Service Society (CSS) guide of October 1, 2026 and NY State of Health notices of October 28, 2026. The state decides; the counselor will tell you which group you fall into. PRUCOL (Permanent Residence Under Color of Law) is a category for benefits, not an immigration status. FPL (federal poverty level): in 2026, 100% FPL is $15,960 a year for one person, 138% is $22,024, 200% is $31,920.
What adults aged 19–64 can get by immigration category (November 2026)
| Medicaid | Essential Plan | A paid plan with a discount | Child Health Plus for children under 19 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green card for 5 years or more | Yes, full Medicaid | Yes, if income is above the Medicaid limit and up to 200% FPL | Yes, with a discount | Yes |
| Green card for less than 5 years | Only under 21 or when pregnant, plus state Medicaid at 65 and older, for blind people and people with disabilities; other adults qualify for the Essential Plan by income | Yes, with income up to 200% FPL | Yes, with a discount if income is above 100% FPL | Yes |
| Asylee or refugee | Only under 21 or when pregnant, plus state Medicaid at 65 and older, for blind people and people with disabilities; other adults qualify for the Essential Plan by income | Yes, with income up to 200% FPL | A discount only until January 1, 2027, if income is above 200% FPL | Yes |
| Asylum or withholding of removal application filed and pending (the CSS guide counts this as lawfully present) | Only under 21 or when pregnant, plus state Medicaid at 65 and older, for blind people and people with disabilities; other adults qualify for the Essential Plan by income | Yes, with income up to 200% FPL | A discount only until January 1, 2027, if income is above 200% FPL | Yes |
| Application for another immigration benefit filed, with a work permit (EAD) | Only under 21 or when pregnant, plus state Medicaid at 65 and older, for blind people and people with disabilities; other adults qualify for the Essential Plan by income | Yes, with income up to 200% FPL | A discount only until January 1, 2027, if income is above 200% FPL | Yes |
| Immediate relative of a US citizen (spouse, unmarried child under 21, or parent) with an approved Form I-130 | Yes, state Medicaid under PRUCOL | No | No | Yes |
| Application for another immigration benefit filed, no work permit | Yes, state Medicaid under PRUCOL | No | No | Yes |
| Other lawful categories: Temporary Protected Status (TPS), parole of less than a year, withholding of removal, T visa (for survivors of trafficking) and some others | Only under 21 or when pregnant, plus state Medicaid at 65 and older, for blind people and people with disabilities; other adults qualify for the Essential Plan by income | Yes, with income up to 200% FPL | A discount only until January 1, 2027, if income is above 200% FPL | Yes |
| DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) | State Medicaid under PRUCOL if family income is up to 138% FPL ($22,024 for one person); above that, no NY State of Health program fits | No: the Essential Plan ended for DACA recipients on June 30, 2026 | No | Yes |
| No status: entry without inspection or an overstayed visa | Only when pregnant or at 65 and older; otherwise Emergency Medicaid for an emergency | No | No | Yes |
You can apply for Medicaid, the Essential Plan and Child Health Plus any day of the year, for free, with help in your language.
Gather information on every family member
Dates of birth, a Social Security number (SSN) or immigration document numbers, and details of work, income and current insurance. For Medicaid also: proof of identity and date of birth (a passport, driver's license or birth certificate), of status and of address (a lease, a utility bill or an ID with your address), and income for the last four weeks (pay stubs, a signed and dated letter from your employer, or benefit letters). At 65 and older or with a disability, bank statements too.
Choose how to apply
Online at nystateofhealth.ny.gov or with a free trained counselor (assistor); the state has more than 9,000. In New York City, find one through GetCoveredNYC: text CoveredNYC to 55676.
At 65 and older or with a disability: through the City's benefits agency
People on Medicare (federal insurance from age 65), except parents of minors, people with a disability or blindness, and people under 26 who were in foster care need a different application, through HRA (Human Resources Administration), the City's benefits agency: 347-396-4705 or 888-692-6116 (say "Russian" and a free interpreter joins). Undocumented people 65 and older: also 347-396-4705.
State your status as it is and answer the questions about an SSN
Give your category from the table and a document number, for example from the receipt notice (I-797 Notice of Action from USCIS). According to the Weill Cornell Center for Human Rights, asylum applicants must at least apply for an SSN; if the SSN is refused, Medicaid cannot be refused because of it.
Choose a plan and check your doctor
Once approved, you choose a health plan. Before booking, ask the doctor or clinic whether they take that plan.
Keep your contact details current and open every notice
When rules change, the state sends notices. Update your address, phone and email in your NYSOH account or with your counselor, and open every letter so you don't lose coverage.
If you are refused, appeal
The NYSOH website explains how to ask for an informal review and file an appeal. Time limits apply, so don't wait. Community Health Advocates help with denials for free: cha@cssny.org or (888) 614-5400, option 3 (say "Russian" and ask for an interpreter).
For one person, 2026. Medicaid has no monthly premium either.
Essential Plan: what you pay in 2026, by one person's yearly income
| Income up to $23,940 a year | Income of $23,941 to $31,920 a year | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly premium | $0 | $0 |
| Annual deductible | $0 | $0 |
| Preventive care (checkups, screenings) | $0 | $0 |
| Primary care visit | $0 | $15 |
| Specialist visit | $0 | $25 |
| Hospital stay, per admission | $0 | $150 |
| Mental health outpatient visit | $0 | $15 |
| Mental health inpatient stay, per admission | $0 | $150 |
| Emergency room (ER) | $0 | $75 |
| Urgent care | $0 | $25 |
| Physical, speech and occupational therapy | $0 | $15 |
| Prescription, generic | $1 ($0 on income below $15,960) | $6 |
| Prescription, preferred brand | $3 ($0 on income below $15,960) | $15 |
| Prescription, non-preferred brand | $3 ($0 on income below $15,960) | $30 |
| Dental and vision | $0 | $0 |
H.R.1 cut federal Medicaid funding. The state is trying to keep as many people covered as it can, but some rules still change.
Calendar of changes
| What changes | Who is affected | |
|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2026 | The Essential Plan ended for DACA recipients. With family income above 138% FPL ($22,024 for one person), no NY State of Health program fits; pregnant recipients were moved to Medicaid. | DACA recipients |
| July 1, 2026 | The Essential Plan is no longer available at 200–250% FPL ($31,920–$39,900 for one person). About 450,000 people lost it; the state automatically moved about 60% of them to other coverage. | Adults with that income |
| September 18, 2026 | New public charge rule: green card applications (Form I-485) filed from this date can count means-tested benefits received from this date. | People seeking a green card through a relative, an employer or the Diversity Visa lottery (many groups are exempt) |
| October 1, 2026 | Some immigrants are moved from Medicaid to the Essential Plan, with the same services. Notices went out September 1–4, 2026. Nothing changes for children or pregnant people. | Refugees, asylees, people with parole, survivors of domestic violence or trafficking |
| November 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027 | Enrollment in 2027 paid plans; for coverage from January 1, sign up by December 15, 2026. Medicaid, the Essential Plan and Child Health Plus: any day of the year. Oscar is not offered in 2027. | Everyone who needs a paid plan |
| January 1, 2027: work or study for Medicaid | Some adults aged 19–64 must show earnings of at least $580 a month or 80 hours a month of work, study, job training or volunteering. | Adults aged 19 to 64 in Medicaid; an assistor will tell you whether it applies to you |
| January 1, 2027: renewal every six months | Some adults aged 19–64 renew Medicaid every six months instead of once a year. Children, people with disabilities and people 65 and older still renew once a year. | Some adults aged 19 to 64 |
| January 1, 2027: coverage of past bills | Medicaid will pay for care before the application only 1 month back for adults aged 19–64 and 2 months back for everyone else, instead of three months as now. | Everyone who applies for Medicaid |
| January 1, 2027: discounts on paid plans | Some lawfully present immigrants lose the federal discount on paid plans. Green card holders keep it. | Lawfully present immigrants other than green card holders |
| February 1, 2027 | Many lawfully present immigrants lose eligibility for Medicare (federal insurance from age 65). | Immigrants aged 65 and over with lawful status |
Work, study or volunteering requirement for Medicaid (from January 1, 2027)
Any status
Some adults aged 19–64 must show earnings of at least $580 a month or at least 80 hours a month of work, study (at least half-time), job training or volunteering. It is checked when you apply and when you renew. Exempt, among others: people under 19 and over 64; pregnant people and those who gave birth in the last 12 months; people with a disability or an illness that keeps them from working; parents and guardians of children under 14 and people caring for someone with a disability; recipients of SNAP food aid who are subject to its work rules. Notices went out August 14 to September 30, 2026; if you didn't get one, the rule may not apply to you. Temporary exceptions: you were in a hospital or nursing facility; you or a dependent traveled for serious medical care not available nearby; your area has a declared emergency or disaster; your area has very high unemployment. Report the first two in your application; the state will tell you about the last two. The Community Service Society cites Politico (October 8, 2026): Bronx residents will be exempt because of high unemployment.
Medicaid and bills from before you applied (from January 1, 2027)
Any status
Medicaid will pay for care before the application 1 month back for adults aged 19–64 and 2 months back for everyone else (children, people with disabilities, pregnant people, people 65 and older), instead of three. This applies to everyone applying for Medicaid.
Medicare for immigrants aged 65 and over (from February 1, 2027)
Any status
Many lawfully present immigrants lose eligibility for Medicare. Notices come in January 2027 and coverage ends no later than February 1, 2027. Green card holders with five years of continuous residence in the US keep it, as do some citizens of Compact of Free Association (COFA) countries.
NY State of Health Customer Service Center
Any statusFree
Applications, renewals and questions about your programs. Say "Russian" and a free interpreter joins. TTY: 1-800-662-1220.
GetCoveredNYC (NYC Health Department)
Any statusNYC residentsFree
Counselors from the City Health Department help you choose a plan or NYC Care and fill in the application, for free, in many languages, whatever your status. Text CoveredNYC to 55676.
Community Health Advocates (CHA)
Any statusFree
Free help with health insurance from the Community Service Society of New York: getting insured, dealing with bills and insurance denials, finding care without insurance. The website has a page in Russian. Write to cha@cssny.org, or enroll@cssny.org for applications. Emails from CHA come only from cssny.org addresses.
Callen-Lorde insurance navigation
Any statusFree
Callen-Lorde counselors help the clinic's patients find out whether they qualify for Medicaid or other public insurance, choose a plan, and file the application for them. You need an address in New York State, your immigration status, estimated yearly income, date of birth, SSN, phone and email. If you are not a patient, apply on the NY State of Health website or find a counselor at out2enroll.org. Call and say "Russian": a Russian interpreter is provided on request.
For people planning to apply for a green card. Only an immigration lawyer can answer questions about your case.
The public charge rule since September 18, 2026
Any status
Public charge is a rule under which a green card application sometimes looks at whether a person can support themselves. The new rule from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS, which includes USCIS) was published July 20, 2026 and is in force from September 18, 2026 (don't confuse it with the City's NYC Department of Homeless Services, also DHS). It applies to green card applications (Form I-485) and US entry applications filed from September 18, 2026; earlier ones follow the old rules. It matters most for people seeking a green card through a relative, an employer or the Diversity Visa lottery, and for green card holders who were abroad more than 180 days in a row.
Who the public charge rule does not apply to
Any statusFree
According to The Legal Aid Society, the rule does not apply to: US citizens and people applying for citizenship; refugees and asylees; green card holders, unless they were abroad more than 180 days or have certain convictions; people on nonimmigrant visas who are not seeking a green card; people seeking cancellation of removal; special immigrant juveniles (people under 21 under family court protection who were abandoned by parents or survived abuse or neglect); Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders, including eligible Afghans and Iraqis; VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) self-petitioners who survived abuse by a family member; U visa (for victims of certain crimes) and T visa (for trafficking survivors) applicants and holders; DACA recipients; people with TPS; people getting a green card under special laws for some Cubans, Nicaraguans and other Central Americans, Haitians and Liberians.
Which benefits may be counted, and what to do first
Any statusFree
If the rule applies to you, USCIS can count any means-tested benefit received from September 18, 2026. There is no full list; according to The Legal Aid Society it includes at least SNAP, WIC (food for pregnant and nursing people and young children), Medicaid, federal housing help, the EITC and Child Tax Credit, Head Start (for preschoolers from low-income families), Early Intervention (early help for children with developmental delays) and Pell Grants for college. Benefits received earlier are judged under the old rule: only cash aid and long-term institutional care paid by Medicaid. Benefits of your dependents may also count, for example a US citizen child's, if they depend on the parent's income. It is unclear whether Emergency Medicaid, state-funded Medicaid and NYC Care count. Don't give up a benefit until you have talked to an immigration lawyer or an accredited representative: receiving benefits does not by itself make someone a public charge.
The Legal Aid Society guide to the new rule
Any statusFree
A detailed explanation in English: who the rule applies to and which benefits may count. A Russian translation can be downloaded from the same page.
The list is on its own page: "Doctors and clinics: our members' experience". QARAVAN has not checked licenses or the accuracy of these reviews.
- Medicaid
- Free public insurance for people with low income, administered by the State and the City.
- Essential Plan
- A New York State plan with no monthly premium for people aged 19–64 with income up to 200% FPL who are lawfully in the US and don't qualify for Medicaid.
- NY State of Health (NYSOH)
- The state's official website for Medicaid, the Essential Plan, Child Health Plus and paid plans.
- FPL (federal poverty level)
- The federal poverty level: income limits for programs are set from it. It depends on family size and changes every year.
- PRUCOL
- Permanent Residence Under Color of Law: a category for benefits, not an immigration status. It covers people the authorities know about and do not plan to deport.
- EAD (work permit)
- Employment Authorization Document, a permit to work.
- Premium, deductible, copay
- A premium is the monthly payment; a deductible is what you pay yourself before insurance starts paying; a copay is a fixed amount per visit or medicine.
- Public charge
- A rule under which a green card application sometimes looks at whether a person can support themselves and may count benefits they received.
- Accredited representative
- Not a lawyer, but a staff member of an organization recognized by the US Department of Justice who may represent immigrants before immigration agencies and courts.
- Assistor
- A trained, certified counselor who helps you enroll in insurance through NY State of Health for free.
This is general information, not legal advice: QARAVAN has no lawyers. QARAVAN does not help anyone enter the US and cannot arrange visas, invitations, sponsorship or evacuation. For your own case, talk to a licensed immigration attorney or a representative accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice.
All pages: Health care and insurance
Sources, checked November 2026
- callen-lorde.org/insurance-enrollment
- info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/news/press-release-new-york-state-…
- info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/EssentialPlan
- info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/ChildHealthPlus
- info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/Medicaid
- nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/health-insurance.page
- communityhealthadvocates.org/contact-us/help-russian
- govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-07-20/html/2026-14539.htm
- legalaidnyc.org/get-help/government-benefits/what-you-need-to-…
- legalaidnyc.org/get-help/government-benefits