Statewide Archives - New York Health Foundation

Community Service Society of New York 

New York State has one of the country’s most robust public health insurance programs. Since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), New York has reduced its uninsured rate to 5%. Today, nearly half the State’s population—8.6 million people—are enrolled in one of New York’s insurance programs: Medicaid, the Essential Plan, or the NY State of Health marketplace plans with advanced premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions. When pandemic-era policies expired, funders like NYHealth worked with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and CSS to launch the Keep New York Covered initiative, and New York maintained insurance coverage for 82% of enrollees—one of the best rates in the country. Now, new changes proposed by the federal administration could compromise coverage for millions of New Yorkers. In 2025, NYHealth awarded the Community Service Society of New York a grant to assess and respond to the impacts of proposed federal policy changes on New York State’s public health insurance coverage programs.

Under this grant, CSS will leverage and evolve its prior work. CSS will coordinate with Medicaid Matters NY and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) at the national level, which are implementing complementary efforts funded by the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York and Robin Hood. It will partner with community-based organizations (CBOs) and conduct policy analyses to assess implications of federal actions specifically in New York State. CSS will gather stories that show the impact of policy changes on consumers and communities, and it will collaborate with community and government partners to strengthen partnerships and coordination. CSS will conduct surveys to assess needs and support dissemination of accurate information about affordable coverage options. Additionally, CSS will lead monthly peer-learning sessions and host an online portal with up-to-date information on State and federal policy developments and educational resources.

Health Care for All New York (fiscal sponsor: Hispanic Federation)

While New York has made great strides in increasing access to health coverage, disparities in health persist. Some of these disparities arise from unequal access to quality affordable care. Even insured patients struggle to find providers, schedule timely appointments, or afford out-of-pocket costs. In 2024, NYHealth awarded Health Care for All New York (HCFANY) a grant to develop and implement a new consumer advocacy agenda focused on primary care. In 2025, NYHealth awarded HCFANY a grant to continue to mobilize consumer advocates in New York to advance primary care policies.

Under this grant, HCFANY will deepen its advocacy on primary care investment and address other consumer-led priorities. It will continue to focus on three core policy areas: expanded coverage, enhanced affordability, and improved accessibility of primary care services. In its role representing consumers in these forums, HCFANY will elevate both primary care policies and consumer perspectives to primary care policy discussions. HCFANY member organizations will conduct policy research and analysis, communications, community outreach and education, and administrative policy advocacy to advance its efforts.

Community Health Care Association of New York State, Inc.

Community Health Centers (CHCs) face an increasingly complex federal health care landscape, marked by shifting funding priorities, regulatory changes, and evolving grant requirements. These challenges threaten access to care for vulnerable populations and CHCs’ ability to maintain their operations and service offerings. The Community Health Care Association of New York State, Inc (CHCANYS) supports 72 community health centers operating nearly 900 sites statewide. In 2023, CHCs served 2.4 million patients, with 88% living below the federal poverty level. In 2025, NYHealth awarded Community Health Care Association of New York State, Inc. (CHCANYS) a grant to help CHCs navigate federal changes, enhance their service models, and ensure continued access to high-quality primary care for the populations that need it most.

Under this grant, CHCANYS will provide training and technical assistance focusing on financial planning, compliance, and maintaining high-quality and mission-oriented care. CHCANYS will conduct outreach, analyze changes in relevant guidance and requirements, engage subject matter experts, and prioritize assistance for CHCs with limited resources and a high proportion of patients from underserved communities.

Dwyer Coalition for Military Veterans & Families Inc.

New York State is home to nearly 600,000 veterans, with more than 4,000 transitioning from active duty to civilian life each year. Many face medical, psychological, and social challenges, including social isolation, loneliness, and financial stressors. Veterans often do not ask for help until a crisis occurs; they may be reluctant to speak with someone they believe will not understand their circumstances. Veterans are often more willing to open up to a fellow veteran who better understands their experiences, which makes peer-to-peer programs an effective approach as a complement to clinical treatments. In 2022, NYHealth awarded Syracuse University, Institute for Veterans and Military Families a grant to expand the Dwyer Program across the State and help it implement best practices to better support veterans. In 2025, NYHealth awarded the Dwyer Coalition for Military Veterans & Families Inc. (Dwyer Coalition) a grant to continue to serve as a statewide platform for communication, advocacy, and capacity-building to strengthen veteran peer services and related programs.

Under this grant, the Dwyer Coalition will provide veteran peer mentors and other stakeholders across New York State with access to centralized information, training, and collaboration opportunities. It will strengthen its organizational capacity through consultant support, convene members to share best practices and receive expert guidance, and update its online resource directory to better connect Dwyer providers to programs, referral partners, and veteran benefits. As the only statewide coalition representing veterans’ needs, the Dwyer Coalition will leverage its platform to advance priorities, including suicide prevention, mental health service capacity, the implementation of high-quality Veterans Treatment Courts, and the equitable allocation of veterans’ services and resources. This work will help refine advocacy, educate policymakers, support local organizing, and promote policy and regulatory changes that strengthen and sustain the Dwyer Program.

American Public Human Services Association

Food insecurity and hunger are at their highest levels in five years. One in ten households in New York State struggle to access enough food, with stark disparities by race and ethnicity. Research shows that SNAP is the nation’s most effective anti-hunger program, reducing food insecurity by as much as 30% and allowing low-income households to afford healthy food. The recent federal budget law reduces benefit amounts, shifts significant costs to states based on accuracy of application submissions, expands work requirements, and adds eligibility restrictions. As a result, New York could lose an estimated $1.4 billion in SNAP funding, and an estimated 300,000 New Yorkers could lose their benefits. Federal changes will fall most heavily on human services agencies at the county level responsible for day-to-day operations. They will need to update IT systems, application processes, and procedures as well as manage major shifts in payment structures on an accelerated timeline. In 2025, NYHealth awarded the American Public Human Services Association a grant to provide local and statewide agencies with capacity building and technical assistance to implement federal policy changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and preserve access to benefits for as many New Yorkers as possible.

Under this grant, APHSA will build on its national program and partner with New York State Office of Temporary Disability Assistance (OTDA) and the New York Public Welfare Association (NYPWA) to share practical tools and best practices for implementing complex new federal policy changes, improving program accuracy, and preserving coverage for New Yorkers. Working with New York counties, APHSA will create practical templates, guidance, and training materials. In coordination with APHSA, OTDA will support the development and dissemination of tools and resources that can be applied statewide. Through peer learning, targeted technical assistance, and statewide and national knowledge sharing, APHSA will strengthen county capacity and elevate New York’s leadership in SNAP administration.

Code for America Labs

Nearly half New York State’s population—8.6 million people—rely on Medicaid, the Essential Plan, or subsidized marketplace plans, but recent federal changes put an estimated 4.5 million New Yorkers’ insurance at risk. With recent changes, Medicaid recipients who qualify under the Affordable Care Act’s expanded eligibility rules will be subject to new work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks, and the State will no longer be able to continuously cover children aged 0–6 on Medicaid. NYHealth has a long history of partnering with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) to expand and protect insurance coverage. One of the most effective ways to ensure that New Yorkers maintain coverage is to use technology to automate wherever possible, reducing the need for enrollees to act. In 2025, NYHealth awarded Code for America Labs (CFA) a grant to partner with the New York State Department of Health to improve automated systems to handle more frequent renewals and reduce the number of consumers losing insurance coverage for administrative reasons.

Under this grant, CFA will partner with NYSDOH to design technology solutions that reduce consumers losing health insurance coverage for administrative reasons, like missed deadlines or missing documents. The work will focus on populations at highest risk, including adults subject to work requirements and biannual eligibility checks and young children who will lose continuous eligibility beginning in 2027. Through system assessment, design, testing, and implementation support, Code for America will help NYSDOH maximize automatic renewals, streamline eligibility processes, and enable tens of thousands of New Yorkers to maintain continuous health insurance coverage.

Top searches

Region: Statewide