Welcome to the NY Health Access website!

This site is intended to serve as a constantly evolving resource for advocates, caregivers, and consumers on public health insurance programs in New York State.

What this site isn't

There are some types of questions this site can't answer.  Here are some examples, and where to go:

• Health insurance programs outside of New York State
  The advocates who author this site are all experts on New York State health programs, but these programs vary tremendously from state to state.  For information about public health insurance programs (and other public benefits) outside of New York, try these websites:

  • BenefitsCheckUp - This site, a service of the National Council On Aging, can screen for eligibility for a wide range of different benefit programs across the country.
  • National Health Law Program -- a national public interest law firm that seeks to improve health care for America's working and unemployed poor, minorities, the elderly and people with disabilities. Through litigation, policy advocacy, and training, NHeLP serves legal services programs, community-based organizations, the private bar, providers and individuals who work to preserve a health care safety net for the millions of uninsured or underinsured low-income people. 
  • LawHelp - This site provides referrals to legal services organizations across the country, and includes many excellent self-help guides.  In addition to health insurance issues, this site includes a wide range of legal issues.  LawHelp also has a fantastic site for legal issues and referrals within New York State; see http://lawhelp.org/NY.
  • Kaiser Family Foundation - extensive resources about Medicaid and Long Term Care

• Medicare
  This site doesn't provide a lot of information about Medicare, because there are already some fantastic websites that provide comprehensive information about Medicare.  However, we do have some NY-specific information that can't be found elsewhere, as well as information that may be more useful for advocates.

  • Medicare Interactive - This excellent site, by Medicare Rights Center, provides a wide range of consumer-friendly information on Medicare.  You can access the information by searching, browsing topics, or through a guided interview.
  • Center for Medicare Advocacy - This is another very informative site by national Medicare advocates.
  • My Medicare Community - An online community for professionals and volunteers who help people with Medicare.
  • Medicare.gov - This is the main consumer-focused website on Medicare by the Federal government.
  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) - This is the website of the Federal agency that administers the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
  • Kaiser Family Foundation -- website has a Medicare section, including  Medicare -- A Primer (revised in April 2010 to include changes enacted in health reform law)

• Non-Health Insurance Issues
  If you're looking for information about non-health insurance issues, this is not the right website for you.  For questions about Social Security, SSDI, Supplemental Security Income, Veterans Benefits, public assistance, food stamps, and other public benefits, try these excellent resources:

  • LawHelp
  • Empire Justice Center
  • Community Service Center of NY - Public Benefits Resource Center Manual
  • Western New York Law Center - Online Resource Center
  • Social Security Administration

What does this site contain?

There are three different types of information on this site: Articles, Downloads, and Glossary.

• Articles - If you click on the Knowledgebase button, you will be on the Articles side of the site.  These are articles written by the advocates behind this site.  They include general overviews of different public health insurance programs, step-by-step explanations of applying for those programs, advocacy tips on resolving common problems, and more.
• Downloads - You access these by clicking on the Downloads button.  This area contains documents uploaded by the advocates behind the site.  Many are directives or bulletins from government agencies regarding the operation of public health insurance programs.  Some are forms, sample letters, training materials, advocacy memos, etc.
• Glossary - Click on the Glossary button to see a list of terms used on this site, with definitions and sometimes links for more information.  Whenever you see a term colored red used in an article, you can click on it to see the definition without switching to the Glossary.

How do I find what I'm looking for?

There are several different ways to access the information you're looking for on this site.

• Search - This is the easiest, most straightforward way.  Just type a word or phrase in the Search box relating to what you're looking for and click Go.  This will return a list of Articles and Downloads that match your search terms.  Note that search terms must be four characters or longer to return any results.
• Browse by Category - If you have a general idea of what you're looking for, but don't know what terms to search for, try reading the list of categories along the left-hand side of the screen.  (Note: if you cannot see any categories along the left side of your screen, then your browser has Javascript disabled.  Either use Search to find what you're looking for, or reactivate your browser's Javascript functionality).  If you find a category that generally applies to your question, but doesn't seem specific enough, see if there's a small + sign next to the category.  If so, clicking on this will reveal sub-categories that will help you drill down to your topic.
• Advanced Search - Above the Search box is a link for Advanced Search.  This lets you closely tailor your search, filtering by a variety of different options.