Thousands of New Yorkers may be eligible for free air conditioners

Residents of New York suffering from asthma and enrolled in the state’s expanded Essential Plan program may be eligible for a free air conditioner early next year.

New York’s Essential Plan – a low-cost health insurance option for lower-income New Yorkers who do not qualify for Medicaid – would cover the purchase, delivery and installation of air conditioners for residents with persistent asthma.

Unveiled earlier this year as part of the governor’s annual policy package, the initiative will take effect in 2025. State officials said the move is necessary as extreme hot weather threatens to intensify.

“As part of Governor Hochul's recently announced Extreme Heat Action Plan, the state's Essential Plan will add coverage for the purchase, delivery and installation of air conditioners for members with persistent asthma," said the state Department of Health. "While this program is currently under development, we intend to perform consumer and provider education and outreach so members know about the benefit."

As extreme heat appears to become more persistent, state officials have begun reckoning with worsening summer weather as a real threat to human health — and are urging that more robust cooling systems become at least a partial solution.

They contend that climate change has intensified the effects of heat and its associated impacts on already vulnerable populations, including people with preexisting medical conditions (like asthma), as well as infants and older residents.

While landlords and building owners in New York must provide heat for renters, state law does not require they provide cooling systems like air conditioning. 

Residents covered under New York’s Essential Plan would submit requests for air conditioners under the program, though the Department of Health said some education and outreach to advertise the initiative should be released in the coming months.

For information, go to https://www.health.ny.gov.