You can check eligibility by first reviewing this chart and then enroll via NY State’s Health Exchange. Under “Individuals & Families,” click “get Started” and then “Register.” You may enroll in Medicaid and any other public insurance plans at any time of the year (Medicaid Enrollment period is year-round, you may switch from any plan or apply to Medicaid at any point via the exchange, in-person Navigator, or via any Medicaid city office).
NOTE: Completing an application on the exchange website will automatically enroll you in Medicaid if you qualify. You may opt-out of Medicaid even if eligible. Note that opting-out of Medicaid disqualifies you from receiving subsidized private insurance, but you will still be eligible to purchase private plans on the exchange at full price. Many are still cheaper than the Sinai plan at full price. Please read the section below about Private Plans on the New York Health Exchange for more details.
When asked if your employer (i.e., Sinai) offers an affordable employer-based plan (i.e. Aetna), you can answer NO since under the ACA, an affordable plan is considered any plan <8% of your income. (8% of your income, if it is $0, is $0—therefore the private plan can be considered not affordable under the ACA).
Medicaid is free, but not all providers accept Medicaid. At ISMMS, for example, you’ll likely receive outpatient care at the IMA Clinic at 17 E 102nd St (not to be confused with EHHOP, the free clinic on Saturdays that operates in the same physical space), because most doctors at FPA Primary Care do not accept Medicaid. Some clinics have moved to integrate public and privately insured patients, but not all have done so.
Note that the information on this page is contributed by students in the interest of helping students find a plan that best suits their individual needs; these options cannot be officially endorsed by ISMMS.