• Your health insurance may change depending on:
  • Your household income
  • Your immigration status
  • Whether you are pregnant or postpartum
• Some people will keep coverage without doing anything.
• Some people will need to switch plans or explore other health care options.
• Most people do not need to act right away unless their situation has changed or they receive a notice asking them to do something.

You should read all health insurance mail carefully and not ignore new notices, especially ones that arrive in late spring or early summer.

Click the section that best describes your situation to learn what may happen next and whether you need to take action.

If you are:

• A U.S. citizen or lawfully present, and
• Not pregnant, and
• Your household income is in this range

What to Expect

• You may no longer qualify for the Essential Plan.
• You may be able to move to a Qualified Health Plan with financial help that lowers monthly costs.
• You will receive an additional notice in mid-May explaining:
  • Your enrollment options
  • Important deadlines
  • What you need to do if you want to keep health insurance

Do I Need to Act Now?

• Most people do not need to act right now unless their income or household size has changed.
• You will need to act after you receive the mid-May notice.

If you are:

• Not lawfully present, and
• Not pregnant, and
• Your household income is above 138% of the Federal Poverty Level ($1,836 per month for a household of 1)

What to Expect

• You may lose Essential Plan coverage.
• You may need to rely on:
  • NYC Care
  • Hospital Financial Assistance
  • Other low- or no-cost safety-net health care options

Important to Know

• Losing Essential Plan coverage does not mean you lose access to health care.
• You still have the right to emergency care and other protected services.
• Help may be available to connect you to alternative care options.

Do I Need to Act Now?

• Most people do not need to act until they receive a notice about their coverage ending.

If you are:

• Currently pregnant, or
• Postpartum (up to 12 months after giving birth)

What to Expect

• You will keep health coverage during pregnancy and postpartum.
• Depending on:
  • When your pregnancy began, and
  • Your immigration status you will either:
    • Stay in the Essential Plan, or
    • Move to Medicaid

Why This Matters

• Pregnancy and postpartum status provide extra protection under health insurance rules.
• Coverage should not end suddenly during this time, though renewals may still be required.

Do I Need to Act Now?

• Most people do not need to act unless:
  • Your pregnancy or postpartum status has changed, or
  • You receive a notice saying your coverage is ending

If you:

• Gained or lost income
• Changed jobs or work hours
• Had someone move into or out of your household

What to Expect

• Changes in income or household size can affect:
  • What coverage you qualify for
  • Whether you need to switch plans
  • You may be asked to verify information or provide documents.

Do I Need to Act Now?

• Yes — if your situation has changed, you may need to report it to avoid problems with your coverage.

What you need to know:

• Most people whose situation has not changed do not need to act right now.
• You should:
  • Open all health insurance mail
  • Watch for new notices
  • Act only if a notice says action is required

Ignoring notices can lead to loss of coverage even if you are still eligible.

If you have questions or need assistance, contact the health insurance assistor who helped you with your application, or find an assistor on the list available here.

Call our Access to Benefits Helpline at 888-663-6880 for assistance. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The information in this document has been prepared by The Legal Aid Society for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. You should not act upon any information without retaining professional legal counsel.