
A CAMPAIGN POWERED BY PATIENTS.
Shockingly high medical bill? Unaffordable insurance coverage? Share your health care story and join the movement of patients advocating for more affordable, accessible and equitable health care in New York.
Patient advocates drive policy change.
In 2004, 24-year-old Manny Lanza needed urgent surgery for a life-threatening brain condition. But without insurance, the hospital refused to schedule the treatment. Manny died waiting.
Manny’s father fought to make Manny’s story known. He, alongside longtime health and legal advocates, became the catalyst for New York’s charity care law passed in 2007, which requires hospitals to provide free or low cost care to uninsured or underinsured patients. The law – the Hospital Financial Assistance Law – is now known as Manny’s Law.
Patient voices can be powerful forces for health care reform. We The Patients is a movement to amplify those experiences and engage patients in health care advocacy, to create a better health care system. We believe collective action—working together with community members, activists, unions, nonprofits, policymakers, volunteers, and more—is the best way to accelerate and actualize change.
Featured patient Stories
Denied Dental — Bebhinn’s Story
Having faced a number of health issues over the past 17 years, Bebhinn was well-versed in the difficulty obtaining care as a low-income individual.
“My credit is zero because — solely because — of medical debt.”…
Bankrupt Over Medical Bills, With Insurance – Tonia’s Story

As a nurse, Tonia has spent more than a decade supporting other patients – in more ways than one.
Despite having good insurance through her job, Tonia could not afford the mounting medical bills that went to debt collection. Eventually, she was forced to file bankruptcy…
In The Hospital for 135 Days: Michael’s Story
While still in the ICU, Michael began receiving calls from the hospital’s billing department. The bills totaled $1.5 million dollars…
Get updates on our latest advocacy efforts and learn how you can get involved.
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WHAT ARE WE ADVOCATING FOR?
Over 53,000 New Yorkers were sued by New York’s charitable hospitals between 2015 and 2020, including at least 4,000 people sued during the pandemic. Patients need protections from unfair medical bills and extraordinary collections actions taken over medical debt.
These include:
- Cutting medical debt from credit reports to relieve patients from long-term consequences
- Making financial assistance applications consistent and accessible for patients
Half of New Yorkers say that they cannot afford medical care even with insurance and another 5 percent of New Yorkers – 1 million people – have no coverage at all. Health coverage should be accessible and affordable, for all New Yorkers.
New York can improve coverage by:
- Passing the New York Health Act, which would ensure coverage for everyone in the state
- Allowing all income-eligible New Yorkers to enroll in the state’s Essential Plan, regardless of immigration status
Decisions surrounding hospital building projects and closures are made without considering community need, often resulting in limited access to care for communities with lower incomes or with more people of color. For example, Queens has just 1.5 hospital beds for every 1,000 residents, while Manhattan has 6.4.
We can create a more equitable New York by:
- Adding patients to the Public Health and Health Planning Council to ensure hospital planning decisions reflect patient needs
- Distribute more of New York’s $1.1 billion indigent care pool to hospitals that care for the lowest-income New Yorkers
Consumer assistance programs are crucial to helping patients enroll in coverage and navigate our complex health care system
- Increase funding for Navigators who provide enrollment assistance
- Create a grant program to fund community-based organizations to conduct outreach in communities with large uninsured populations
- Increase funding for Community Health Advocates to handle rising demand
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Medical Debt in New York: What Patients Can Do to Fight Back
Medical Debt in New York: What Patients Can Do to Fight Back:
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Department of Financial Services: Guide to Surprise Bills
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Congratulations Colorado on being the first state to keep medical debt off credit reports and out of credit scores! 🥳
Shoutout to the incredible advocates at @cocenterlawpolicy & their partners. This is a huge step forward for patients — we can’t wait for NY to follow suit!
Congratulations Colorado on being the first state to keep medical debt off credit reports and out of credit scores! 🥳
Shoutout to the incredible advocates at @cocenterlawpolicy & their partners. This is a huge step forward for patients — we can’t wait for NY to follow suit!
Louder for the people in the back 🗣🗣
Louder for the people in the back 🗣🗣
4 million NY’ers could lose health coverage as pandemic-era protections end.
Patients need an advocate in their corner. NYC must fund MCCAP, a network of local orgs committed to helping patients access affordable care. #FundMCCAP ...
Welcome to 🇺🇸…
Full NPR story at the link in our bio. #EndMedicalDebt ...
🚨 NEW: For NY'ers who budget medical expenses to the dollar, a bill arriving 3 years later – that should have been covered by insurance – is nerve-wracking.
Read Wendy's story at the link in our bio. ...
Join the movement of patients advocating for fairer & more equitable health care. What’s your story? #WeThePatients ...
Blog
Senior NY’ers: Protect Yourself from Medical Debt
Guest Post by N’Diera Viechweg As New Yorkers age, their...
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