Deadline Extended For Uninsured NYers To Get Health Insurance

NEW YORK, NY — Uninsured New Yorkers will have another month to sign up for health insurance through a special enrollment period set up because of the coronavirus pandemic, officials announced this week.

A second open enrollment period that was slated to end April 15 will now extend until May 15. The enrollment helps uninsured New Yorkers get low- or no-cost healthcare through the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

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The special enrollment period was announced in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

"With a pandemic spreading through the U.S., it's important to ensure that healthcare is available to everyone who needs it," Donna Frescatore, the state of health executive director, said in a statement at the time.

In New York City, residents can sign up for insurance through the "GetCoveredNYC" program.

The program asks uninsured New Yorkers to fill out a form online or call 311 for free enrollment assistance. Specialists are available to help in multiple languages.

Residents can also call 311 or text CoveredNYC (SeguroNYC en Español) to 877877 to be connected to a GetCoveredNYC Specialist and receive free enrollment assistance.