After a nearly one-year hiatus, the Campaign for New York Health is back! In the last three months, it has hired a new Executive Director, convened a strategic planning retreat for its leadership team (board and Steering Committee), held a fundraiser, and organized a press conference to announce reintroduction of the New York Health Act, its signature legislative goal.
The Campaign was founded nearly a decade ago to formally organize the variety of groups and individuals that have long supported this bill since its original introduction over three decades ago. It was initially based out of the New York State Nurses Association, and then spun off on its own several years ago. We are proud to serve on its leadership team since its launch.
The New York Health Act has undergone several iterations since it was first introduced in 1991 by then longtime Assembly Health Committee chair Richard Gottfried (Manhattan.) It would create a fully-public universal health insurance program for all New York residents with a comprehensive range of benefits, modeled on “Medicare-for-All” proposals in Congress. There would be no limited provider networks, or out-of-pocket costs such as premiums, deductibles, co-pays, or co-insurance that constantly hassle or outright prevent patients from getting coverage of the care they need.
The bill passed the State Assembly in 1992, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 by a significant majority. It has yet to get to the floor of the State Senate for debate and vote. Its current lead sponsors are the current health committee chairs in each chamber of the state legislature: Sen. Gustavo Rivera (Bronx) and Assemblymember Amy Paulin (Westchester.) The bill has a majority of co-sponsors in each chamber: 34 (out of 63) in the Senate, and 83 (out of 150) in the Assembly.
Former Long Island congressional candidate Melanie D’Arrigo took the helm of the Campaign back in the Spring as its new Executive Director. She is a graduate of Barnard College, and earned a master’s degree in health services and allied health professions from Long Island University. Prior to joining the Campaign, she co-founded Be the Rainbow, a non-profit organization that celebrates and promotes positive self-awareness of the LGBTQ+ community on Long Island.
Earlier this month, the Campaign held a press conference outside Harlem Hospital to announce the reintroduction of the NY Health Act for the 2023-4 legislative session. Lead sponsors Sen. Rivera and AM Paulin were joined there by several legislative colleagues, leaders of health professional organizations and unions, and community health activists. The bill remains one of the most popular among a broad range of health advocates and health care unions.