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LGBT Health Enrollment Week Kickoff - Councilmember Corey J - YouTube
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The health committee and the City Council
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I'm sure you all know, but,
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the current enrollment period
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that we're in opened on November 15th
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and it spans until about a month from now
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until February 15th.
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This is the second enrollment period.
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Last year
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New York, as Mark eluded to,
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did really, really well.
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We enrolled way beyond
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what the target was.
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And I think statewide we got
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1.5 million people signed up
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through the exchange.
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And about 500,000 of those folks
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were actually in the city of New York.
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This second go around
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I actually think is going to be
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slightly more difficult. We'll see what
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the numbers are. If the early numbers are good.
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But, we really got the low hanging fruit
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last time.
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The folks that are easiest to reach
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who needed to get enrolled and needed healthcare.
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It's my opinion and belief
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that healthcare really is a human right,
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and is a basic civil right,
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and that everyone should have access
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to healthcare.
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I personally believe in single payor, but
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given that we are in this construct
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of the Affordable Care Act
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and what the limitations are
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we have to sign up as many people as possible
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to get insured and to get enrolled.
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And government can't do it all on it's own.
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We're really lucky that we have
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Healthcare for All New York
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and we have fantastic community partners,
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like Callen-Lorde
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who take care of the LGBT community
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day in and day out.
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Looking at their comprehensive healthcare needs,
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from mental health to physical health.
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And, it's really important for people to get
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educated on what they qualify for
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and what plan is best for them.
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Just to tell ya a very quick story, and then
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I think I'll finish.
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I, of course, am openly HIV positive
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and when I was elected to the Council
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a little more than a year ago
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and I went into the HR
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department at the City Council, and I picked
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my health insurance
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they gave me it.
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They said you can go downstairs
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and in the building that the City Council's in
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there's a Duane Reade
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at 250 Broadway.
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I went downstairs
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tried to fill my medicine that I take
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for HIV every day.
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They said,
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"Sir, we'll be with you in about 10 minutes."
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"You can wait for your medicine."
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I waited. I walked up.
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They said,
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"Okay, that $2,400 please."
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I said, "$2,400?"
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They said,
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"Yeah, your health insurance, you're not
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allowed to pick your HIV and AIDS medicine up.
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You'll have to get it through mail order catalog."
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I went back upstairs with HR,
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the wonderful woman who I was dealing with
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spent 4 hours on the phone
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with the insurance company.
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And finally I was able to
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pick up my medicine downstairs.
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But in the future, I had to get it through
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mail order catalog.
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If you sign up through the
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Affordable Care Act
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on the exchange
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you don't really have an HR department.
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You kind of are your own HR department.
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And navigators,
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and certified application counselors,
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and the folks who understand,
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how to get enrolled,
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and then what happens when you get enrolled,
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how to understand a deductible,
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how to understand co-pays,
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how to understand referrals,
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those folks are here at Callen-Lorde.
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And those folks are at these organizations
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all across the city
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that do this type of work.
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And I am tremendously lucky
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that I had someone in HR
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that could spend 4 hours on the phone
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understanding how to cut through
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that awful red tape
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and figure it out for me.
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But for most New Yorkers
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who just want to get enrolled
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and want to have basic health insurance
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so that in case of a health catastrophe
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they don't go bankrupt,
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they need organizations like Callen-Lorde
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to help them navigate
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and understand how this process works.
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And so,
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the New York City Council has been out
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in all 5 boroughs
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enrolling people.
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Working with 100s of organizations
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across the city,
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because this is incredibly important.
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And the Health Commissioner, Dr. Mary Bassett,
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who I work very closely with,
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has made fighting disparities
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in minority communities
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a top concern of hers.
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And that includes the LGBT community.
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So I am very proud to be here
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to kick off this week,
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and I look forward to working with Callen-Lorde,
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and with Healthcare for All New York,
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to ensuring that from now until February 15th
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we get as many New Yorkers,
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especially LGBT New Yorkers,
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signed up and enrolled in health insurance.
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Thank you very much.
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