When Washington threatens the health of our community, we don't wait for a political miracle. We mobilize our resources to build our own safety net, right now.
That is why, today, we are officially launching the JFK Healthcare Access Task Force (HATF): an active, rapid-response initiative to shield families in the Bronx and Upper Manhattan (NY-13) from health care cuts and ensure access to free or low-cost care.
The HATF is Live, But We Need to Fund the Fight.
The centerpiece of the HATF is not a policy paper—it's a Resource Specialist Team ready to pick up the phone and personally guide our neighbors to care.
For a family in distress, the HATF Resource Center (which you can view here: [https://www.jamesfeltonkeith.com/EMERGENCY RESOURCES]) provides:
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A Confidential Help Form: For families to request a personal call back within 48 hours from a trained specialist.
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Immediate Resource Aggregation: Verified contact information for NYC Care, low-cost clinics, and local food pantries.
But to staff our Resource Specialists, print community flyers, and reach every corner of the district, we need your help today.
$100 helps fund the confidential phone line for one full week. $500 equips a volunteer with essential HATF information packets for canvassing. $1000 covers the cost of a specialist to fully process and assist three families.
Our campaign is built on the principle that #WeOweUs we owe it to each other to ensure dignity and access. This Task Force is the embodiment of that promise.
Please, make a donation today to fund a Resource Specialist who can connect a struggling NY-13 family to the care they deserve.
[YES, I will fund the HATF and fight for NY-13 families - DONATE NOW]
Thank you for being a part of this vital, action-oriented campaign.
In Solidarity and Service,
James Felton Keith Candidate for Congress, NY-13
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James Felton Keith is an Engineer, Economist, Entrepreneur, Professor, Activist, and Author who has been working for the people of New York's 13th District for two decades. He has dedicated his life to solving for belonging through deliberate acts on equity and inclusion.
The Framework
New York has the most expansive public health coverage in the U.S. short of a true single-payer system. The key programs include:
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Medicaid: Covers low-income residents; New York expanded it under the ACA. Undocumented people can get “Emergency Medicaid” and, as of 2024, full Medicaid for all ages under 65 who meet income requirements.
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Essential Plan: State-subsidized coverage for residents just above the Medicaid income limit (up to ~200% of the federal poverty line). Premium-free starting 2025.
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Child Health Plus: Universal for children under 19 regardless of immigration status.
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Elderly & Disabled: Medicare + Medicaid dual coverage, or long-term care programs.
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Hospital Charity Care / Financial Assistance Law: Mandates reduced or free care for the uninsured.
The “Protected Class Advantage”
If you’re in a legally or socially protected category—like being disabled, pregnant, under 21, a senior, HIV+, or even undocumented but under a certain income threshold—the system does indeed open up. Advocates, hospital social workers, and immigrant-rights nonprofits are adept at “playing the system” to slot people into the right programs or coverage categories.
That’s why navigators and public benefits specialists are so crucial in New York; they essentially stitch together a de facto universal system for those who know where to go.
The Catch
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Middle-income people who don’t qualify for Medicaid or the Essential Plan still face high costs.
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Provider participation is inconsistent—some doctors don’t take Medicaid or low-reimbursement plans.
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Coverage gaps remain for mental health, dental, and long-term care if you’re not in specific programs.
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The bureaucracy can be brutal; appeals and re-certifications are constant.
Bottom Line
New York’s system mimics universal coverage for the poor, disabled, elderly, and children—if you or your advocate know how to work it.
But it’s still class-tiered, employer-dependent, and bureaucratically fragile—not universal healthcare in the true sense.
My Philosophy is
Inclusionism
My core philosophy is called inclusionism and it has three tenets:
1) We have intrinsic value.
2) We derive it from each other.
3) We are owed equity from that value.
I like to say that "Individuals are at their best when they identify with a community and communities are only at their best when they identify all of their individuals."