The following article was published in the August 2026 edition of dcDIGEST:
On July 1, nearly 15,000 people in our Congressional District 19 lost their health insurance coverage. So did 435,000 other New Yorkers statewide. It was the most rapid loss of health insurance in New York history.
Robin Williams, co-founder of The HUBB in Margaretville, which connects local people to healthcare and other services, warns that many people don’t even know that they’re now uninsured because they can’t keep up with the barrage of confusing bills and notices from insurance providers. “In a couple of months when they go to get healthcare, they’ll find out they’re not covered anymore,” she says.
The loss of coverage will be devastating, says Williams. “We’re going to see people losing access to life-sustaining drugs—heart drugs, diabetes drugs…”
This economic blow to people in Delaware County stems from cuts included in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Congress passed last July. OBBBA eliminated tax credits that had helped fund New York’s “Essential Plan,” a health insurance program established under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). It provides insurance for low-income working adults who don’t qualify for Medicaid.
The July 1 cuts hit a particular swath of Essential Plan enrollees—those earning 200 to 250 percent of the poverty level (about $32,000-$39,000 a year). Lower-income people in the plan’s “basic tiers” are still covered.
People who have lost Essential Plan coverage have until August 30 to enroll instead in a private insurance plan through NY’s “State of Health” insurance marketplace. (More info below.) But Williams says that in Delaware County, many Essential Plan enrollees are self-employed, small-business employees, or parents who can’t afford the premiums and out-of-pocket costs offered through the marketplace.
The nonprofit Fiscal Policy Institute also predicts that most people who’ve been kicked off the Essential Plan won’t be able to purchase the private plans the state is offering. Premiums for the marketplace’s benchmark “Silver Plan” are over $9,800 a year—and that doesn’t include out-of-pocket expenses.
Unfortunately, more cuts are on the way. Beginning on January 1, 2027, working age Medicaid enrollees will have to prove that they’ve worked at least 80 hours a month to keep receiving benefits. The NY State of Health projects that some 33,000 people in CD19 will ultimately lose access to Medicaid because of OBBBA.
Our local hospitals and other providers will take a hit too, since so many people here use ACA and Medicaid. Hospitals in CD19 are expected to face $49 million in uncompensated care. Across the nation, rural hospitals like ours are projected to see a 21 percent decline in Medicaid reimbursements.
Williams says it will be tricky for people who have lost coverage to find other options. Many people can’t access coverage just because of all the hoops they have to jump through to find it and apply for it, she says.
“My advice is to find a real person—a human navigator, even if it’s not local, to help you figure out what to do,” she says. Williams also advises people to “look for other resources. Most hospitals have financial aid, and their income cutoffs are higher than for Medicaid. And when you get a bill or a denial notice, always question every aspect of it.”
For the longer term, Williams supports a “Medicare for All” insurance system, which would cover everyone, replacing our incredibly complex and expensive private health insurance patchwork. Some 65 percent of Americans—including 49 percent of Republicans—now support Medicare for All. The New York Health Act, which would create a state-wide version of Medicare for All, has been gaining support and endorsements, including from local Democratic candidates.
DCDC-endorsed candidates Michele Frazier, Janet Tweed and Vicki Davis have all vowed to vote for this Act if elected.
Please urge your current state representatives to vote for the New York Health Act, which will ensure that we and all our neighbors have health insurance.
The current NY state senator for all of Delaware County is Peter Oberacker. Phone: (607) 432-5524. Email: oberacker@nysenate.gov.
Find your state assembly member here: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/.
RESOURCES
New York State of Health. People who have lost their Essential Plan coverage should contact the NY State of Health insurance marketplace well before the August 30 deadline to look for potentially affordable plans.
Website: nystateofhealth.ny.gov. Phone: 855-355-5777.
The HUBB, located at the Huggins Building at Margaretville Hospital, connects Delaware County folks with needed services.
Website: https://www.thehubbonmain.org/ Email: info@thehubbonmain.org
Community Health Advocates, sponsored by the Community Service Society of NY, is a statewide network of organizations that help people access health insurance. They have a toll-free, live-answer helpline weekdays from 9 to 4: (888) 614-5400.
Website: http://www.communityhealthadvocates.org/ Email: cha@cssny.org
See their guide for people losing Essential Plan coverage: