Bill de Blasio announces plan for universal comprehensive healthcare in New York City in unprecedented programme

Mayor says that there will be no new taxes to pay for the move, which will help provide services for over a half million people

New York City is taking the unprecedented step of guaranteeing healthcare for every single resident of the city regardless of economic or immigration status, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Announcing the new programme the mayor said it is necessary to help protect the more than half-a-million New Yorkers who currently rely on hospital emergency rooms as their primary care provider.

The mayor said that his plan would provide primary and speciality care to the city’s roughly 600,000 uninsured people. The plan — which would cover care from pediatrics, geriatrics, mental health care, obstetrician-gynecologists and other services — would build on the foundations of a public health insurance option that already exists to help undocumented residents receive care.

“We’ll put the money in to make it work; it’s going to save us money down the line,” Mr de Blasio said, detailing a plan to expand that existing program and to add another program called NYC Care.

Mr de Blasio said that the healthcare plan would be built over the next few years after being introduced this year. It will come at a cost of around $100 million.

“We’re 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 car”, Mr de Blasio said.

But, a spokesman said following the announcement, the plan is not a form of health insurance.

“This is the city paying for direct comprehensive care (not just ERs) for people who can’t afford it, or can’t get comprehensive Medicaid — including 300,000 undocumented New Yorkers,” Eric Philips, the spokesman, tweeted after the announcement.

Mr de Blasio said that there would be no new tax hikes to fund the program, and that New Yorkers would be able to access the program through the city’s website or by calling the local services line, 311.

“This has never been done in the country in a comprehensive way,” he said. “Health care isn’t just a right in theory, it must be a right in practice. And we’re doing that here in this city”.

Additional details were expected later on Tuesday.