Medical Services
If you or a loved one need urgent medical attention, go to the nearest public hospital or call 911 if necessary, regardless of your insurance and immigration status. Find a hospital here.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
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For the most up-to-date information on how to stay healthy, how to protect yourself and your family, and what to do if you think you are sick, please visit the Centers for Disease Control’s COVID-19 info page.​
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Patients of the Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture​
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During this time, resources have been redirected to areas that are in critical need. In order to schedule a non-urgent telephonic visit with a medical provider, either call 212-562-5555 or the NYC Health and Hospitals hotline 1-844-692-4692. Request an interpreter in any language. Some providers and departments may not be available at this time even for telephonic visits.​
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If your request is only for medication refills, please call 212-562-3011 and leave a voicemail with your name and date of birth, and details of the medication you need to be refilled.
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If your PCP is with the Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture Clinic and you still have trouble after attempting these other resources, please send an email to and we will respond as soon as possible. See the PSOT website for more information.
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Read more here on how to access care at Bellevue and public hospitals in New York City
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Watch this video from NBC Today on Bellevue Hospital’s response to COVID-19.
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If you experience symptoms consistent with COVID-19:
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The symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and sore throat. You may be infected with COVID-19 and have no symptoms, and can still infect others. This is one reason it is extremely important to stay home as much as possible and practice caution when you must go outside.
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When and how to seek medical help: Not everyone who has COVID-19 will need to be hospitalized. In most cases, the best course of action is to stay home and self-isolate. Use the CDC’s Self-Checker tool or read NYC’s COVID-19 Factsheet, available in many languages, for medical advice. Call the New York State Department of Health’s COVID-19 Hotline at 1-888-364-3065. Contact your medical provider directly, and if you don’t have one call New York City Health and Hospitals at 1-844-692-4692.
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Before going to any facility, call ahead to let them know you are coming, so they can share with you their protocol to keep everyone as safe as possible. This is good practice for anywhere you have to go during a state of emergency.
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Insurance and paying for medical bills:
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Asylum seekers, asylees, and refugees (along with some other trauma relief-based statuses) are not subject to the public charge test. Speak with your lawyer or legal representative about how public charge will affect your immigration case. Please see the “Public Charge” section below for USCIS’s official response to COVID-19 and more details.
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Public charge DOES NOT include New York State Medicaid, NYC Cares, Essential Plans, nor NYC H+H Options (fee-coding plans at NYC public hospitals). Federal Medicaid CAN be counted against you in a test of public charge.
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If you are already covered by medical insurance, learn about COVID-19-related changes or updates to your benefits directly on your insurance provider’s website or through their help line.
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COVID-19 insurance and cost:
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If you need to seek medical care, do so regardless of your insurance or immigration status.
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Testing for COVID-19 is free.
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Visit your health insurance company’s website directly to read about your personal coverage plan in detail, and see which additions or modifications they may have made for COVID-19. Many insurance plans accept to cover initial screening appointments for COVID-19, and differ in whether they continue to pay for any further treatment related to COVID-19.
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If you were recently told that you must wait until the end of the year/”Open Enrollment” to apply for insurance coverage, this has changed due to COVID-19, and all New Yorkers can and are encouraged to apply for insurance in a Special Enrollment Period from now until May 15, 2020. See how at the beginning of the Insurance section here.
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The New York State Department of Financial Services requires insurance companies to waive co-pay fees for telephonic/telemedicine visits, a visit with a healthcare provider via phone call or video. This is a way to have your questions answered while keeping yourself and others safe. See directions above on how to schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider.
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Use the scenarios below to help you navigate your next steps when applying for health insurance: