NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- New York City on Tuesday unveiled the "NYC Care card, which officials say is the first step towards ensuring guaranteed health care for all.Mayor Bill de Blasio called the NYC Care card the key to quality and affordable health care for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who cannot afford or are ineligible for insurance.The mayor also discussed his potential bid for president, saying his timetable remains to arrive at a decision sometime this month. He said reports that he would announce a decision this week were not true. "All I said was the month of May, we never said a specific day," said de Blasio.When the NYC Care card launches in the Bronx on August 1, residents will be able to use it to receive their own doctor, get preventative screenings and tests, and connect to a 24/7 service to help make appointments.Health officials say an estimated 300,000 New Yorkers are currently ineligible for health insurance, including people who can't afford it or are undocumented immigrants, and will be able to enroll in NYC Care.The $100 million program - one of two major components of the city's "Guaranteed Care" commitment - will be fully implemented across all five boroughs by the end of 2020. "In New York City, we know health care is a human right, which is why we're making that right a reality," de Blasio said. "We're on track to guarantee health care for every single New Yorker. Access to quality and affordable health care is one of the biggest burdens working people face. Now they won't face it alone. "Mayor de Blasio announced a series of milestones toward implementing Guaranteed Care in NYC:--New NYC Care Card, which will provide each member with a dedicated doctor, access to a 24/7 customer service line to make appointments, and clear copays that are affordable to each individual member.--New NYC Health + Hospitals doctors hired in the Bronx to serve approximately 10,000 patients expected to enroll in NYC Care in the first six months.--New Executive Director for NYC Care, Marielle Kress, who was instrumental in the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) successful expansion of Medicaid in states across the country.--Access to 24/7 pharmacy services in the Bronx, launching on August 1, that will provide NYC Care members with easy access to affordable medication.--GetGoveredNYC, the City's health insurance outreach and enrollment initiative, has enrolled more than 19,000 New Yorkers into coverage in 2019, a 19 percent increase from the same time period last year.----------<doc-sep>'Whoever Is Watching This, They're Going To Get A Thrill': Willy T. Ribbs, Paul Tracy, Ernie Francis Jr. Discuss Superstar Racing ExperienceThe Superstar Racing Experience inaugural season begins on June 12 at Stafford Speedway. 'Rugrats' Voice Actors E.G. Daily And Cheryl Chase Call New Animation Style 'Brilliant': 'Every Time They Would Show Us We Would Just Gasp''In the words of Chuckie Finster, "Looks like a giant step to me" as the 90's classic Rugrats returns with all-new episodes and a slick modern animation style on Paramount+. WATCH: Caroline D'Amore Discusses 'Surreal' MTV's 'The Hills: New Beginnings' Experience & Pizza Girl BusinessThe Los Angeles native discusses what it was like to join the cast of "The Hills: New Beginnings" and her new line of sauce. SEC Football: CBS Sports Announces 2021 Schedule Including Alabama At Florida On September 18The SEC on CBS kicks off on September 18 with an SEC Championship game rematch between the Crimson Tide and Gators. Mayweather Vs. Paul: Showtime Sports Announces Broadcast Team For June 6 EventThe network announced its plans for the broadcast of the pay-per-view exhibition bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Logan Paul. The 74th Annual 'Tony Awards' And 'The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back!' Come To CBS September 26thCBS and Tony Award Productions will celebrate Broadway’s highly anticipated return to live theatre with a multiplatform event The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back! Sunday, September 26th (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) broadcasting on CBS and available to stream live and on demand with Paramount+ or the CBS app.<doc-sep>The card will provide each member with their own doctor, pharmacy services day and night, a 24/7 hotline to make appointments and “clear” affordable co-pays, according to the mayor’s office. The card will list the member’s primary care provider and customer hotline numbers, as well as co-pays and fees broken down by type of visit.<doc-sep>
Illegal immigrants living in the Bronx will be able to get a “care card” entitling them to free health coverage from the city starting in August, the mayor announced Tuesday. “You will hear some critics who say we can’t afford to give everyone healthcare,” de Blasio said at a Lincoln Hospital press conference. “I have a simple answer. It’s not a problem of money from my point of view. There’s plenty of money in this world, there’s plenty of money in this country, it’s just in the wrong hands,” de Blasio said. The giveaway is projected to cost taxpayers $100 million. The mayor introduced the NYC Care card that will give some 300,000 immigrants and low-income New Yorkers access to a primary care doctor, prescriptions and other medical services. Patients only have to prove that they’ve lived in the city for six months and are either uninsured or can’t afford a healthcare plan. Bronx residents will be the first to get the cards this summer and then other New Yorkers can apply for the program over the following several months. Public hospitals already provide free care by treating all patients regardless of their ability to pay. “The idea here is to make it as user friendly as it possibly can be,” de Blasio said. “We’re saying, come get this card, we’re going to assign you a doctor, we’re going to show you all the services you can get with this,” he added. The mayor said his number crunches are still determining how much the plan will save in emergency room costs.