Affordable Health Insurance for College Students

By Faith Banke, in partnership with the Mayors Public Engagement Unit

School semesters are in full swing and just like I did in January 2020, students from all over are settling into this bustling city. I’m here to tell you there’s one major thing many students may have missed on their back to school checklist: signing up for health insurance.

It may come as a surprise, but there are so many no-cost or low-cost options available for students like me in New York City. I promise, there’s an easy (and affordable!) way to sign up–let me prove it to you.

I came to New York from my home city of Lagos to get my Master’s in Public Health. In Nigeria, I had health insurance through my employer, but when I got to New York, I was a full-time student and assumed that I’d have to pay whatever health services I needed out of pocket. I hoped and prayed I wouldn’t get sick, knowing I wouldn’t be able to afford any expensive medical bills. I was prepared to take pain killers and suffer through because I feared that was my only option.

Then, I saw a post on Twitter about GetCoveredNYC. It promised free support in signing up for free or low-cost health insurance. We were at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and I was constantly worried about getting sick. I followed the instructions right away, texting “CoveredNYC” to the contact number (877877).

Shortly after, I got a call from a GetCoveredNYC Specialist named Gloria. Gloria talked with me for over thirty minutes, asking me questions about my situation, answering my questions, and providing me with lots of information about my options. Health insurance is complicated, and the system in the United States was completely new to me, but Gloria held my hand throughout the whole process. Because of the extended open enrollment period, if someone enrolls in health insurance by the 15th of the month, you’ll be covered starting on the first of the next month, so Gloria made me an enrollment appointment with a Certified Application Counselor from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that day. After my appointment, Gloria reached out to follow up and make sure I was able to get health insurance. With help from GetCoveredNYC, I officially had health insurance and I ended up with a plan that felt tailor-made for me and most importantly, within my budget.

With health insurance, I have one less thing to worry about and that was a huge help for me as I finished up my studies. In the second year of grad school, I had health GetCoveredNYC Specialists at a issues that had me going from one doctor to another. I MetroHealthPlus event in Queens won’t sugarcoat it: it was scary. I didn’t know what was going on and my school work was suffering. But, with the health insurance I had through GetCoveredNYC, I felt very supported and all my visits, tests, and medications were covered. I can’t imagine what would have happened if I’d had to pay out of pocket for these services. Luckily, I didn’t have to, just because I’d texted 877877.

You can too! Text “CoveredNYC” to 877877 (SeguroNYC en Español) to be connected to a specialist like Gloria for free support.

I’ll end with a note directly to my fellow international students: you may worry health coverage is not for you, but let my experience prove to you that being an international student is not a stumbling block to getting covered.

To learn more visit: nyc.gov/GetCoveredNYC

Essex County College’s Grand Opening of West Essex Campus

Essex County College’s West Essex campus wrote a new chapter in its 55 years of service to the community when it held a...

East Orange Student Entrepreneurs Receive Once-In-A-Lifetime Opportunity

Host Pop-Up Shop at the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 25th Anniversary Tour In a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a group of budding...

Welcome Back to School RCCS!

On August 28, Roseville Community Charter School opened its doors to welcome parents and scholars to visit their new classrooms...

East Orange “Back-to-School Welcome Walk”

Mayor Ted R. Green, the East Orange City Council, and staff from various municipal departments participated in the city’s annual...

Berkeley College Announces Opportunity Grant

Qualified New Jersey residents can enroll in a fulltime Associate’s degree program without incurring any loans for tuition and fees...

Roseville Community Charter School Honored

Roseville Community Charter School was honored to welcome as a special guest, Dr. Christopher Irving, NJ Department of Education Assistant...

New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency Celebrates 40 Years of Service

On January 17, 2024, the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) celebrates its...

Consider it Pure Joy | Jennifer Jones Austin

When Jennifer Jones Austin, wife, mother, lawyer and child advocate, and the picture of good...

NJHMFA Board Meeting Delivers Key Housing Policy Advancements in Tax Credits and Multifamily Programs

 New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) approved two new programs, the Urban Preservation...

Chase Community Manager Shares Five Key Financial Literacy Tips

Financial health is an important foundation that helps build strong and resilient households, communities and...

Fresh Financial Start: How to Begin the New Year on a High Note

We’re ringing in a new year, and that means a fresh start for your finances!...

Hope for the Holiday Season and Beyond

As the end of 2023 draws near, some of us may be feeling our holiday...

Activist Viola Plummer dies at age 86

Activist and Chairperson of the December 12th Movement Viola Plummer has died. Her passing was announced on Monday. She was...
Read More

 Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz Art Collection at Brooklyn Museum

Call it an embarrassment of riches: The musician Alicia Keys and her husband Kasseem Dean, the producer and D.J. known...
Read More

20-Bed Transitional Housing ‘Village’ Opens in Newark

Officials Say Hope Village II Improves on First Container Community A 20-bed “bridge housing community” is open for people in...
Read More

The 38th Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

BAM honors Dr. King’s radical spirit at this beloved Brooklyn tradition, which rings in a new year with musical performances...
Read More

Rev. Dr. James A. Kilgore Installed

The Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Greater NY & Vicinity installed Rev. Dr. James A. Kilgore as the new president of...
Read More

Hal Jackson Hal Jackson’s Talented Teens Fundraiser

Folks who lived in the NYC area during the 80’s & 90’s remember Hal Jackson’s Sunday Classics heard on then Black-owned WBLS-FM. Many of us looked forward to hearing classic...
Read More

Harlem EatUp! Luminary Awards Tamron Hall and D-Nice Honored

Titled “Harlem EatUp!,” the Luminary Awards Dinner truly lived up to its name. At the renowned Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem, guests dined on an array of culinary delights. Launched in...
Read More

East Orange Breaks Ground on Renovations to Historic Oval Park

Mayor Ted R. Green, the East Orange City Council, and the Departments of Public Works and Recreation & Cultural Affairs officially broke ground on renovations to Oval Park, a historic...
Read More

A Private Experience: a short story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chika climbs in through the store window first and then holds the shutter as the woman climbs in after her. The store looks as if it was deserted long before...
Read More

Should You Focus On Exercise When You Want to Lose Weight?

Exercise may not be the best way to lose weight. A quick Google search on...

Holy Name Announces New Leadership Appointments

Holy Name, the region’s leading independent health system, appointed Cynthia Ziegler as Vice President of...

You Can Live Well

As a fitness expert, I often encourage clients to care for themselves first. It seems...

Season’s Greetings

Stay Safe and Enjoy this Wonderful Time of the Year The upcoming holiday season is...

Powerful Stories of Breast Cancer Survivors

WORLD’s Stories from the Stage: The Podcast Kicks Off New Season Stories from the Stage: The...

They are Fit to be First Responders

By Barry Carter In a spirited competition among first responders, Newark and Essex County police...