The Trump administration’s long anticipated federal funding cuts ended expanded federal “Essential Plan” health care coverage for around 450,000 New Yorkers on July 1, as pre-advised earlier this year. In response, NYC Health + Hospitals’ announced Tuesday, July 21, the return of the citywide “Light the Way Truck” outreach initiative to remind New Yorkers of the City’s NYC Care (healthcare access) program. The outreach initiative kicks off in The Bronx.

 

The Essential Plan is a low-cost, comprehensive health insurance program for low-to-moderate-income New Yorkers, often called a “Basic Health Program.” It offers $0 monthly premiums and $0 deductibles for individuals (19-64) who do not qualify for Medicaid or employer-sponsored insurance, often called low-cost health coverage or a state-sponsored health plan.

 

Meanwhile, as reported, NYC Care provides comprehensive and low or no-cost healthcare services through NYC Health + Hospitals for New Yorkers who cannot afford or are ineligible for health insurance, according to City officials. They said it provides a membership card, 24/7 customer service, access to comprehensive and affordable healthcare services, like primary care, mental health services, and sexual and reproductive healthcare, low-cost medications, and member materials. They said it provides this in multiple languages and regardless of immigration status or ability to pay.

 

City officials said that starting in Fordham Heights, the “Light the Way Truck” will make around 24 stops across the City over a 12-day period, handing out multilingual flyers and brochures on NYC Care and distributing healthy snacks, lip balm, T-shirts and other branded items.

 

They said brand ambassadors have received training from the NYC Care team to prepare them to engage with community members, share key messages, and raise awareness about the NYC Care program. They said staff members who are able to speak the common languages of each community, including several from the Taskforce for Racial Inclusion and Equity (TRIE) Neighborhood Initiative, were selected and have been dispatched to specific City neighborhoods.

 

They said the languages represented among the staff members include English, Spanish, French, Simplified Chinese, Haitian-Creole, Arabic, Bengali, Mandarin, Urdu, and Hindi. They said the last day the truck will be available is July 31, coinciding with the 7-year anniversary of when the program first launched in The Bronx.

 

They said the initiative builds upon what was described as the program’s extensive marketing which they said is currently underway and includes subway, bus, digital, TV, radio, and newspaper ads. They said the new video ad for the campaign is available here, and New Yorkers are encouraged to help spread the word about the campaign through a new social media toolkit, accessible here.

 

One Bronx location for the truck will be at:

• Community Outreach with Office of NYC Council Member Pierina Sanchez
  • Wednesday, July 22, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
  • Kingsbridge Heights, the Bronx

 

Norwood News has asked the City if it can provide more information on all The Bronx stops and will share this upon receipt.

Jonathan Jiménez, MD, MPH, executive director of NYC Care from NYC Health + Hospitals, said he was pleased to announce the return of the ‘Light the Way Truck’ this summer to encourage NYC Care enrollment. “Thanks to the dedicated street team, we can reach even more New Yorkers where they live and work to promote health care access through events and days of action,” he said. “To learn more about the program, visit NYCCare.NYC and stay tuned on our social media channels @NYCHealthSystem to see when the truck is in your neighborhood.”

 

Meanwhile, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Faiza N. Ali said all New Yorkers deserve access to quality, affordable health care, regardless of immigration status or ability to pay. “The return of the Light the Way Trucks reflects our commitment to meeting New Yorkers where they are, with trusted information, in the languages they speak, and in the neighborhoods they call home,” she said. “Through partnerships with NYC Care, we’re helping ensure that every eligible New Yorker can access the health care they need with confidence.”

 

She added, “I encourage anyone who is eligible to enroll in or renew their NYC Care membership, and to help spread the word to friends, neighbors and loved ones so that more families across our city can get connected to care.”

 

City officials said NYC Care has more than 130,000 active members and has provided over one million primary care appointments. A study published in 2024 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that new NYC Care members had the same health care engagement and chronic disease control as new Medicaid enrollees, demonstrating what City officials say is health equity achieved through the program.

 

They said NYC Care’s community-based organization partners have reached over 1.4 million New Yorkers, scheduled over 62,000 enrollment appointments, and facilitated over 19,000 direct enrollments. They said from inaugurating a new durable medical equipment benefit to developing a multi-lingual video series about the program and deploying regular public awareness campaigns, NYC Care continues to champion health care for all New Yorkers.

 

Call 646-NYC-CARE, (646) 692-2273 or visit NYCCare.NYC to learn more about the program and sign up. Privacy and confidentiality is guaranteed, City officials said.