CSS has taken a comprehensive approach to address the nearly 2.8 million New Yorkers who lack health insurance.  Working statewide with local community partners, we aim to provide consumer assistance to New Yorkers who need help, offer in-depth policy solutions to systemic problems, and to advocate for government support for needed health reforms.

Advocating for Change

We recognize that comprehensive health reform is essential to building strong, economically secure communities.  Accordingly, CSS continually works to achieve significant policy reforms in the health arena.

We’re working on multiple fronts to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to quality, affordable health insurance.  Through policy research, advocacy, grassroots organizing, and education, CSS strives for systemic changes to our health insurance system at the state and federal level.

Helping Health Care Consumers

Our complex health insurance system can be extremely difficult for many New Yorkers to navigate.  At the same time, federal health reform has brought many new changes. 

To help New Yorkers effectively utilize the health insurance system, CSS operates the Community Health Advocates (CHA) program.  CHA is New York’s statewide consumer assistance program established under the Affordable Care Act.  CHA provides valuable assistance to any New Yorker who needs help with their health insurance, free of charge.

Connecting People to Policy

Our goal is to achieve policy changes that reflect real consumer needs and concerns.  CSS is a founding partner of Health Care For All New York (HCFANY), a grassroots network of over 170 organizations around the state dedicated to winning quality, affordable health care for all New Yorkers.

By integrating our direct services initiatives into our policy work, partnering with fellow consumer advocacy organizations around the state, and through CSS’s innovative state and city-wide polling, we continually work to ensure that consumers have a meaningful voice in New York’s health policy conversation.