NYC Mayor Guarantees Comprehensive Health Care for All in Historic Surprise Announcement

New York City will begin guaranteeing comprehensive health care to every single resident regardless of someones ability to pay or immigration status an unprecedented plan that will protect the more than half-a-million New Yorkers currently using the ER as a primary provider Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Its not health insurance his spokesman clarified after the surprise announcement on MSNBC Tuesday morning. This is the city paying for direct comprehensive care (not just ERs) for people who cant afford it or cant get comprehensive Medicaid -- including 300000 undocumented New Yorkers spokesman Eric Phillips tweeted. De Blasio said the plan will provide primary and specialty care from pediatrics to OBGYN geriatric mental health and other services to the citys roughly 600000 uninsured. He said the city already has the foundation for such a plan -- a public health insurance option that helps get direct care to undocumented residents. That option will be expanded the mayor said and supported with the addition of a new program called NYC Care. That plan will roll out in 2019 and build out over the next few years de Blasio said. Itll cost about $100 million Politico said. New Yorkers will be able to access the program through the citys website or simply by calling 311. There will be no tax hikes to fund it the mayor said. Well put the money in to make it work; its going to save us money down the line de Blasio said on MSNBC. Were already paying an exorbitant amount to pay for health care the wrong way when what we should be doing is helping them get the primary care. Additional details on the program are expected to be revealed later Tuesday. This has never been done in the country in a comprehensive way de Blasio said on MSNBC. Health care isnt just a right in theory it must be a right in practice. And were doing that here in this city.