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Jenifer Rajkumar backs single-payer healthcare bill
The Queens assemblymember said the legislation would guarantee healthcare coverage for all New Yorkers regardless of employment or income status.
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Malvika Choudhary - Tue, 19, May 2026
- 17:59 EDT
- 30
Jenifer Rajkumar backing the bill / X/ Jenifer Rajkumar
New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar on May 19 voiced support for the New York Health Act, legislation aimed at creating a universal single-payer healthcare system in the state.
In a statement posted on social media, Rajkumar described the proposal as a “landmark legislation” that would guarantee healthcare coverage for all New Yorkers regardless of income or employment status.
Also Read: Influential NY democrat endorses Jenifer Rajkumar for reelection
Today in Albany, I proudly championed the New York Health Act, landmark legislation to bring a universal, single-payer healthcare system to New York.
— Jenifer Rajkumar (@JeniferRajkumar) May 18, 2026
This bill is transformative because it says, clearly and powerfully that healthcare is a human right. No New Yorker should delay… pic.twitter.com/G2kGKKKcVL
The New York Health Act, currently introduced in the state legislature as A1466/S3425, seeks to establish a publicly funded healthcare system covering all New York residents and some out-of-state workers employed full-time in New York.
“This bill is transformative because it says, clearly and powerfully that healthcare is a human right,” Rajkumar said. “No New Yorker should delay care because of cost, stay trapped in a job for health insurance, or face financial ruin because they got sick.”
Under the proposal, residents would receive comprehensive coverage without network restrictions, deductibles, or co-pays, according to the bill summary published by the New York State Assembly. The legislation also proposes creating a New York Health Trust Fund to finance the system through public revenue sources, including payroll-based assessments.
Rajkumar said the bill would “put patients — not insurance companies — at the center of our healthcare system,” while lowering costs for working families.
The legislation has been debated in Albany for decades and is considered one of the most prominent state-level single-payer healthcare proposals in the United States.
First introduced in 1991, the bill has previously passed the New York State Assembly multiple times but has faced obstacles in the Senate and amid debates over funding and the future role of private insurance.
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