NY State of Health and CVS/pharmacy Team Up to EDUCATE AND ENROLL NEW YORKERS BEFORE Special Enrollment Period ENDS

ALBANY (April 23, 2015) - With just days remaining for New Yorkers without health insurance to enroll in a plan, NY State of Health (NYSOH), the state's official health plan Marketplace, today announced it is partnering with CVS/pharmacy to make additional enrollment resources available prior to the April 30 special enrollment deadline.

"CVS and our partners at the New York State Health Foundation and Empire Justice Center continue to be supportive in our quest to make people aware of their options for getting affordable, quality health plans," said Executive Director Donna Frescatore. "There are certain enrollment opportunities that continue throughout the year for people with qualifying life events and for those who qualify for public health insurance programs. We encourage people to stop by these events to learn more."

The Special Enrollment Period (SEP) related to the federal tax penalty began on March 1 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on April 30. New Yorkers who were uninsured in 2014 and owed a federal tax penalty have until April 30 to enroll in a health plan and avoid paying a tax penalty in 2015.

During the last week of April, CVS/pharmacy will host events at stores at select locations throughout the state. Community members are invited to visit these CVS/pharmacy locations and learn how the marketplace works, find out if they qualify for this, or another special enrollment period, check their eligibility for cost reductions, explore their health plan options, and schedule an appointment with an in person assistor. Ambassadors from the Empire Justice Center will staff NYSOH informational tables to distribute information and answer questions.

"We are proud to work with the New York State Health Foundation on the Ambassadors for Coverage program and partner again with the New York State of Health on the CVS Pharmacy initiative," said Anne Erickson, President and CEO of the Empire Justice Center. "This is an ideal opportunity for the Ambassadors to reach more New Yorkers and ensure they receive vital information about their eligibility during the Special Enrollment Period."

NYSOH/CVS event dates and locations
April 28Avon277 East Main Street
April 28Douglaston242-24 Northern Blvd.
April 28Greece878 Long Pond Road
April 28Woodstock60 Mill Hill Road
April 28Brooklyn150 Court Street
April 28Hempstead301 Jerusalem Ave.

Individuals may be eligible for other SEP's if they experience a qualifying life event and notify NYSOH within 60 days of it. The next open enrollment for those without an SEP qualifying life event may enroll in a health plan through NY State of health beginning on November 1, 2015.

To learn more about Special Enrollment Periods, visit http://info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/SpecialEnrollmentPeriods and watch a video explaining qualifying life events.

For more NYSOH marketplace events, visit http://info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/events.

For more information on how to enroll, call at 1-855-355-5777, visit our website at

http://nystateofhealth.ny.gov to find an enrollment assistor.

About NYSOH

New York opened its Health Plan marketplace, NY State of Health, on October 2013. The Marketplace's one stop health insurance shopping experience offers high quality comprehensive plans for consumers to choose from. NY State of Health is the only place where consumers can qualify to get help paying for coverage through premium discounts or tax credits. The NY State of Health Small Business Marketplace for employers with 50 or fewer employees is open to enrollment throughout the year. Eligible New Yorkers can also enroll in Medicaid or Child Health Plus through the Marketplace all year. For more information about the NY State of Health marketplace, please visit https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov/ or call Customer Service at 1-855-355-5777.

About Empire Justice Center

Empire Justice Center is a statewide, multi-issue, multi-strategy, public interest law firm focused on changing the "systems" where poor and low income families live. Empire Justice Center protects and strengthens the legal rights of people in New York State who are poor, disabled or disenfranchised through systems change advocacy, training and support to other advocates and organizations, and high quality direct civil legal representation. Empire Justice Centerhas offices in Albany, Rochester, Westchester county, and on Long Island. For additional information regarding Empire Justice Center visit http://www.empirejustice.org/.

About NYS Health Foundation and Ambassadors for Coverage Program

The New York State Health Foundation is supporting the Ambassadors for Coverage program through a grant to Empire Justice Center, which has selected 20 organizations to raise awareness about health insurance options in communities throughout New York State with high rates of un-insured. Ambassadors conduct outreach, educate consumers about their options, encourage people to take the steps necessary to obtain health care coverage, and connect eligible New Yorkers to organizations that can help them enroll in an insurance plan. Learn more about the Ambassadors program and view the map of where these organizations are located at http://www.empirejustice.org/issue-areas/health/ambassadors-for-coverage/ For more information regarding the New York State Health Foundation visit http://nyshealthfoundation.org/.