More Than 16% Of South Slope And Sunset Park Residents Lack Health Insurance, Comptroller Finds

One in six residents living in Community District 7, which includes Greenwood Heights, South Slope (south of 15th Street), Sunset Park, and Windsor Terrace, do not have health insurance, according to figures released this week by Comptroller Scott Stringer.

The comptroller’s analysis used data from the 2014 American Community Survey to determine the number of uninsured people living in neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs. In Sunset Park there are 24,503 residents without health insurance, according to the report. The Brooklyn neighborhoods with the greatest number of uninsured are Bushwick (22 percent) and Sunset Park (16.3 percent). Citywide, the comptroller’s report found that 962,805 people, 11.4 percent of residents, are without health insurance.

“Close to one million New York City residents lack even the most basic health coverage,” Stringer said in a press release. “To ensure the long-term economic future of our City we need to make sure our residents are healthy and well. We want to get the word out: with the Affordable Care Act in place, getting health insurance is easier and more affordable than ever.”

The comptroller’s report was timed to coincide with the beginning of the Affordable Care Act open enrollment period, which runs from November 1, through December 15 for coverage to begin on January 1, 2016. Enrollment will remain open through January 31, 2015 for coverage to begin March 1, 2016.

While the amount of uninsured New Yorker’s still hovers above 10 percent, the number has fallen steadily since the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) was signed into law in 2010.

“We’ve seen real progress in reducing the number of City residents who are covered, but we must continue to reinforce that being uninsured can have real economic and health consequences for you and your family,” Stringer said.

New Yorker’s can find out how to apply for health insurance through the state’s online marketplace. The Brooklyn Public Library also provides free healthcare navigator services at several branches. The Sunset Park Library, located at 5108 4th Avenue (at 51st Street), hosts a health insurance navigator on Mondays, from 11am-6pm, and 12pm-5pm Fridays.