NY State of Health Teams Up With New York State Colleges to Get Grads Covered

ALBANY (June 17, 2015) - NY State of Health (NYSOH), the State's official health plan Marketplace, today announced a new "Get Covered Grad" collaboration with the State University of New York (SUNY), the City University of New York (CUNY) and the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU) to help recent graduates learn about the Special Enrollment Period (SEP) they may qualify for. This initiative is extended to 24 CUNY campuses, 64 SUNY campuses and more than 100 other New York private, not-for-profit colleges and universities across the State with a reach of more than one million students.

"Young adults have choices when it comes to health insurance: stay on their parent's health plan, buy their own plan, or get coverage through a new job," said NYSOH Executive Director Donna Frescatore. "We're pleased to partner with SUNY, CUNY, CICU and New York colleges to make graduating students aware of the affordable health plan options available through the Marketplace."

"As our graduates embark on life after college, it is imperative that we inform them of the many programs and services that New York State has available to ensure a seamless and productive transition," said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. "SUNY is proud to partner with New York State of Health on this important initiative to increase awareness among SUNY graduates regarding their options for health insurance."

"CUNY is proud to partner in the New York State of Health "Get Covered Grad" initiative, which will provide CUNY graduates and their families with valuable health insurance enrollment options as well as campus resources for future planning," said CUNY Chancellor James B. Milliken. "These Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs) are especially important for graduates as they transition from their parents' insurance and are eligible for a variety of coverage options."

"The independent colleges and universities of New York are pleased to join with the Department of Health in making our students aware of this health care option," said CICU President Laura Anglin. "Our institutions foster a lifelong relationship with their students, for that reason we want to make sure they have every available opportunity. The "Get Covered Grad" initiative is a commendable effort in ensuring all recent graduates have the health insurance they need."

Upon graduation, many graduates may find themselves without health insurance coverage or the ability to remain on their parent's policy. SEPs allow uninsured individuals who experience certain qualifying life events to enroll for health coverage through NYSOH outside of the annual open enrollment period.

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

To help increase awareness of these SEPs and the availability of low cost plans through the marketplace, NYSOH has developed a resource kit for campus administrations to use in helping students plan for the future. The College Toolkit includes:

To be eligible for an SEP, consumers must notify NYSOH within 60 days of the qualifying life event. Those without an SEP qualifying life event may enroll in a health plan through NY State of Health beginning on November 1, 2015.

All plans available through NYSOH cover health services such as yearly check-ups, flu shots, emergency services and prescription drugs. A plan preview tool available on the NYSOH website allows graduates to review and compare plan options by entering only a zip code. Graduates can also use this tool to see if they qualify for financial assistance to reduce the cost of coverage. Some plans may cost less than a monthly cell phone bill and depending on income, some coverage may be free.

To view the complete NYSOH College Toolkit, visit: http://info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/sites/default/files/College_Resource_Kit.zip

To use the NY State of Health Plan View Tool visit https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov/individual.

For more information on how to enroll, call at 1-855-355-5777, visit our website at nystateofhealth.ny.gov, or 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. 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, TTY: 1.800.662.1220 or find an enrollment assistor.