Not only is it very important to have health insurance coverage to protect from illness and injury, but not having coverage can also result in a penalty. It is highly important that you sign up for a health insurance plan as soon as possible!
Open Enrollment is the period in which people can enroll in a health insurance plan and begins November 1st and generally runs through December 15th, though in New York City it is extended through January 31st! Make sure you sign up for low or no-cost health insurance as soon as possible so that your doctor visits and prescriptions are covered.
If you need help signing up for health insurance during the open enrollment period, make sure to stop by one of the designated Health Centers across the five borough to meet with Certified Application Counselor, who can explain your health insurance and medical care options (regardless of your immigration status).
There is an office in every borough and walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are recommended. If you need non-English language assistance, interpretation services are available.
Counselors are available Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Bronx
- Morrisania Health Center
1309 Fulton Avenue
3rd Floor
Bronx, NY 10456
347-854-1984
Brooklyn
- Bushwick Health Center
335 Central Ave., 1st Floor
Brooklyn, NY, 11221
718-573-4829 | 718-573-4978 - Crown Heights Health Center
1218 Prospect Place
1st Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11213
718-953-8234 | 718-953-8232
718-953-8233 - Fort Greene Health Center
295 Flatbush Avenue, Ext.
5th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-643-4463 | 718-643-4467
718-643-3410 | 718-643-4420 - Homecrest Health Center
1601 Avenue S
1st Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11229
718-336-2553
(ext. 129, 144, 150, 153)
Manhattan
- Washington Heights Health Center
600 West 168th Street
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10032
212-368-5475 | 212-694-2399
212-368-5717 | 212-491-5288 - Riverside Health Center
160 West 100th Street
1st Floor
New York, NY 10025
646-364-0711
Queens
- Bushwick Health Center
335 Central Ave., 1st Floor
Brooklyn, NY, 11221
718-573-4829 | 718-573-4978 - Jamaica Health Center
90-37 Parsons Boulevard
4th Floor
Jamaica, NY 11432
718-262-5512 | 718-262-5581 - POP-UP – LIC
25-05 Queens Plaza North,
Ground Floor
LIC, NY 11011
Monday – Friday
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Staten Island
- 135 Canal Street
2nd Floor
Staten Island, NY 10301
917-217-3324
By Appointment Only
Some important documents that you’ll need to enroll:
(Your information will stay private. Even if you don’t have all of this information, you can still start the sign-up process so don’t wait!)
Household Information
- Birth dates
- Social Security numbers
- Current employment and income information
- Helpful items: tax statements, W-2 forms or pay stubs
- Insurance cards, if members of your household have health insurance
Immigration Documents (required if you are a documented immigrant)
Items that show your legal immigration status in the U.S. can include:
- Permanent Resident Card (Green Card/ I-551)
- Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
- Naturalization Certificate
- Arrival/Departure Record (I-94 or I-94A)
- Foreign Passport (ID, Expiration date)
- ORR Verification of Release Form (ORR UAC/R-1)
Helpful Tips
- Pick a plan that is right for you and your family:
- Know your family’s health history, including any medications that you take and doctors you see.
- If you have a regular doctor, write down the insurance plan(s) he or she accepts. (You can call your doctor’s office to check this.)
- Learn about health insurance coverage and terms. “Deductible,” “co-payments” and “coverage period” are terms that affect your options. If you need more information about how health insurance works, visit NYC Health Insurance Link
Information sourced from NYCDHM