It’s here! The New York State Health Plan Marketplace is open and operating. That means for the first time, over a million New Yorkers can access high-quality, comprehensive health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Sign Up

If you or someone you know needs coverage and lives in New York State, visit New York State of Health — you’ll find a calculator to help you determine how much insurance will cost and whether you qualify for financial assistance–or call 855-355-5777 between 8 AM and 5 PM. Help is available in 150 languages. For coverage outside New York State, go to healthcare.gov or call 800-318-2596.

For an easy way to get in-state coverage, you can also sign up at Get Covered New York–a certified expert or “navigator” will contact you to complete enrollment. Get Covered New York is a partnership of the Health Care for All New York coalition and Greater NYC for Change.

Get Involved

Get Covered New York is providing volunteer outreach to uninsured New Yorkers and local communities. Look for the yellow umbrella logo or bright blue T-shirts at street fairs, health assemblies, or community institutions! To volunteer, email or sign up on the website.

Bottom line: This is your chance to improve your health or the health of someone you care about. Open enrollment is October 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014; enroll by the end of the year for coverage starting January 1, 2014.

And don’t forget to share your experience with us @GNYCforChange and on our Facebook page.

Here’s to your health!

The Greater NYC for Change Team

Sandra Fluke, speaking in New York, after the Supreme Court upheld the health care law in June 2012.

You helped get the Affordable Care Act passed. Now it’s time to finish the job. Let’s get help the one million plus uninsured New Yorkers – insured! Enrollment for the New York Health Benefit Exchange begins October 1st and there’s no time to waste. Our experts will tell you how you can help. Special guests: Sandra Fluke, attorney and social justice advocate, and Tim Foley, Greater NYC for Change policy expert.

Join us Thursday, September 19, 2013, 6pm to 8pm at 310 Lounge, 310 Bowery (at E. 1st) in Manhattan. Please RSVP through Facebook or by emailing aliya.quraishi@gmail.com

As we gear up for the fall, let’s make some plans for worthwhile and fun events for the uninsured. We have one huge event — Caribbean Day below — and a couple of smaller ones too. Please join!

Starting September 5, we will be tabling on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at health events in CVS Drug Stores in Queens and Brooklyn. There are many slots open. For more information, email Liza at liza@raisingwomensvoices.net 

Greater NYC for Change members helped register voters in Allentown, PA in fall 2012. This is Team Barbershop, a group of canvassers who worked out of a local business.

Miss talking to Pennsylvania voters? Now’s your chance! On Saturday, May 18^th, join fifty New Yorkers to travel to Allentown, PA. We’ll be canvassing and attending a rally against proposed legislation to split the Electoral College votes by popular vote totals.

RSVP here

State legislators are trying to pass a bill to divide up PA’s 20 electoral votes, blunting its status as a true battleground state, and indirectly diminishing New York’s ability to affect close national races in the future. Most importantly, splitting votes in only certain states unfairly slants elections. Not dissimilar to attempts to suppress voting rights and ballot access in certain communities, this bill is unacceptable and would do tremendous harm to American democracy.

We don’t want to be caught looking away during a crucial time and find ourselves with more challenges to overcome in the next election cycle, just like we did with Photo ID in 2012.

We need every single seat on the bus this Saturday, going to Allentown, PA to be filled with eager, energetic and street-smart NYC volunteers to canvass for petition signatures and inform the local voters of the threat to their state.

Where and When: The bus will be loading in front of Babies R Us on Union Square East on Saturday, May 18, starting around 8:30 AM for a 9 AM departure. We plan to arrive around 11 AM in Allentown, join in a short rally with our friends at People for the American Way, then strike out to do some sidewalk canvassing. We plan to be back in the city by 6 PM.

RSVP here – and sign up to help!