More than 750,000 children in New York could lose health insurance coverage under a new federal policy set to take effect in 2027, according to data released by Governor Kathy Hochul. The state’s analysis shows that thousands of children in every county may be affected by the changes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
“New York will not stand by while the federal government jeopardizes children’s health coverage,” Governor Hochul said. “This misguided policy threatens the progress we’ve made in keeping young children connected to care during the most critical years of their development. We will use every tool at our disposal to protect access to Medicaid and Child Health Plus for the more than 750,000 young children across New York State who depend on it for a healthy start in life.”
Recently, New York put into place a policy guaranteeing continuous coverage for children from birth through age six enrolled in Medicaid and Child Health Plus. This was designed to prevent disruptions due to changing family circumstances and ensure consistent access to medical care during key developmental years.
A letter from CMS outlined plans to phase out programs like New York’s initiative, which provides continuous Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations. While funding is not immediately withdrawn, federal officials indicated they would not approve similar initiatives or support extensions going forward. The current policy, which began in January 2025 under a federal 1115 demonstration waiver, allows stable health insurance regardless of short-term changes in family income.
Dr. James McDonald, New York State Health Commissioner, commented: “Children deserve every opportunity to grow up healthy and thrive. Ensuring they have access to health coverage during their critical years of development is both the right thing to do and sound public health investment. The Department remains committed to protecting the health and wellbeing of New York’s youngest and most vulnerable residents.”
Several members of Congress also spoke out against the federal decision:
Senator Charles Schumer said, “Cuts to healthcare for children younger than age six is as cruel as it gets. The Trump administration’s new policy will threaten health insurance for more than 750,000 children in every corner of New York. With Trump’s ‘Big, Ugly Betrayal’ already set to hurt our local hospitals and kick millions of New Yorkers off their health insurance, it makes no sense to target our youngest children and kick them off their coverage. I will fight tooth and nail to protect access so our children can start life with the healthcare they deserve.”
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand stated: “Children in New York and across the country deserve access to high-quality and reliable health care. This policy will put their coverage at risk and hurt our kids. I will fight any attempt to rip health care away from our children and the most vulnerable in our communities, and I urge the Trump administration to reverse this destructive decision before it causes lasting harm to young children and families.”
Representative Nydia M. Velázquez added: “First, Republicans pushed through the Big Ugly Bill to gut Medicaid and now they’re targeting children’s health insurance. Taking coverage away from over half a million kids in New York endangers the health of future generations and threatens to undo decades of progress our state has made to ensure low-income families have uninterrupted access to care. We can’t allow Republicans to play politics with our children’s lives. We must protect continuous health care coverage for every child from birth through their early years, because their future depends on it.”
Other Democratic leaders including Representatives Yvette D. Clarke, Paul Tonko, Hakeem Jeffries, Grace Meng, Joe Morelle, Dan Goldman, George Latimer, John W. Mannion; Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins; State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud; Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie; Assemblymembers Amy Paulin, Andrew Hevesi, Maritza Davila also criticized the move.
The change follows recent legislative actions that include budget cuts affecting healthcare funding statewide—reducing resources available for providers throughout New York State—and is expected by state officials https://www.health.ny.gov/press/releases/2024/2024-05-13_continuous_health_coverage.htmhttps://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/enrollment/childhealthplus/2024/docs/january.pdf
to destabilize existing programs while making it harder for all residents—not just those directly impacted—to find medical care when needed.
The updated county-level data show that nearly every area—from large urban centers like Kings County (Brooklyn), where more than 141,000 young children are covered by Medicaid or CHP combined; Queens with over 101,000; Bronx with almost 88,000—to smaller counties such as Hamilton or Yates could see significant losses if current protections expire.
The total enrollment figures now reflect about 750,000 covered statewide among those aged zero through six.
