WASHINGTON, DC — Representative Josh Riley (NY-19) has introduced the Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act to reinstate federal funding for New York’s Essential Plan and restore health coverage for nearly 15,000 people in NY-19 and more than 450,000 New Yorkers.

New York’s Essential Plan is a lifeline for working families, providing comprehensive health coverage at affordable rates. However, H.R.1 – Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act – slashed funding for the program, forcing thousands of Upstate New Yorkers to sign up for more expensive private insurance or forgo coverage altogether.

“Upstate New Yorkers work hard, play by the rules, and deserve health care they can actually afford,” Riley said. “Washington politicians handed out massive tax breaks to the wealthy and big corporations, then paid for them by ripping health care away from working families. These cuts will drive up premiums, put more pressure on our rural hospitals, and leave thousands of Upstate New Yorkers without coverage. I’m fighting to reverse them and restore the health care our communities depend on.”

You can read the text of the Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act HERE.

This bill builds on Riley’s ongoing push to defend healthcare in Upstate New York:

• April 2025: Supported the Protecting Options for Seniors Act (H.R. 2610) to ensure fairer reimbursement rates for rural hospitals.
• May 2025: Requested over $55 million for rural infrastructure and community health projects for Fiscal Year 2026.
• July 2025: Opposed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R. 1) that cut Medicaid and threatened hospital closures.
• August 2025: Co-sponsored the Rural Hospital Stabilization Act (H.R. 3063) to provide $500 million in emergency support for rural hospitals.
• November 2025: Sent letters to the CEOs of UnitedHealth Group, Humana, and CVS Health demanding answers for their decision to drop Medicare Advantage plans in rural communities across Upstate New York.
• December 2025: Supported CommonGround2025, a bipartisan proposal to stop premium hikes, protect families’ health coverage, and keep healthcare affordable in Upstate New York.