Legislation in Congress Could Restore Health Coverage for Thousands in Rockland, as Thousands More Face Medicaid Cuts

MONSEY, N.Y. — Following a recent vote in Congress, thousands of people in Rockland County ended up losing their health coverage. The vote made changes to health programs, and those changes ended part of New York's low-cost health plan.

The part that ended was for working families who earn a little too much for the main low-cost plan, but not enough to buy health insurance on their own. Notices went out starting April 1, 2026, and the coverage ended June 30, 2026. In this area, 13,987 people lost coverage on that date. Across New York, about 450,000 people were affected. By late August 2026, more than four in ten of those people across the state had still not signed up for a new plan.

Now there is a plan in Congress that could bring that coverage back. It would restore the health plan for the families who lost it in June, including the nearly 14,000 people in this area.

More changes are coming, and more people could lose coverage. Starting January 1, 2027, people on Medicaid will have to show they work 80 hours a month, or earn at least $580 a month. They will also have to renew their coverage every six months, instead of once a year. A state report says 31,189 people in this area could be at risk when those rules start.

The new plan in Congress would fix the June loss. It would not, on its own, change the January rules. That is why state workers are telling families to check their coverage now, and not to throw away letters about renewals. Families can check their coverage at nystateofhealth.ny.gov.

The legislation, the Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act (H.R. 10692), remains pending in Congress.