ROCHESTER, NY — A Rochester state senator is pitching a plan that would give every child in New York access to free health care from birth through age 19. The legislation, introduced Monday by Sen. Jeremy Cooney, would extend coverage to children regardless of family income.
Children already enrolled in Medicaid, or those who qualify for it, would keep that coverage. Other children would be able to enroll in Child Health Plus without copays or deductibles, according to Cooney. He said the goal is to make health care a basic right for young people in the state.
How the proposal would change coverage for families
Under the plan, parents would not need to put children on a family insurance policy if the child is a New York resident and eligible for the new benefit. Cooney said adults could continue using employer-based coverage for themselves while their children receive separate, state-backed health coverage.
That means a family with workplace insurance could still keep adult coverage through an employer while shifting dependents into the child program. Cooney said the idea is to remove cost barriers for children and make sure access to care does not depend on a household’s income or private plan structure.
State would create a new reimbursement rate for pediatric care
One of the bigger questions in the plan is how doctors and facilities would be paid. Cooney said his office has been talking with the American Academy of Pediatrics and with local pediatricians to shape a reimbursement structure that works for providers.
He said the legislation creates a new rate for the child-health program. Medicaid-eligible children would continue to be paid at the Medicaid rate, but the new coverage would use a separate rate that is higher than Medicaid so pediatricians can be reimbursed appropriately.
Taxpayer cost still being calculated ahead of January session
Cooney said state officials are still calculating what the program would cost taxpayers. The New York State Department of Health would administer the plan, which he said should keep administrative expenses relatively low.
The larger cost would be the premium expense now absorbed by the state. Cooney said those numbers should be ready before the next legislative session starts in January. He said he expects the final figure to be lower than many people might assume because children generally use less health care than adults.
Supporters say early care can prevent later chronic illness
Cooney argued that the state could save money over time by catching illnesses earlier. He said healthier children are more likely to become healthier adults, and he pointed to conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease that can be identified during adolescence before they grow worse.
In his view, the plan is not only an access issue but also a long-term investment in public health. He said broad child coverage could reduce the chance that manageable conditions turn into more serious and expensive problems later in life.
Experts have not yet had time to review the plan
News10NBC said it reached out to several insurance experts and economists for reaction, but the proposal was so new that they had not yet been able to study it closely. That means the broader debate over cost, administration and likely effects is still just beginning.
For now, the legislation puts New York in a potentially first-in-the-nation position if it advances. Cooney said the aim is universal coverage for children in the state, with no income requirement and no out-of-pocket costs for eligible care.
