Hep C NY Meeting Highlights | 09-30-2026

Hep C NY Meeting Highlights | 09-30-2026

Formerly known “Hep C Task Force”

September 30, 2026 (2 – 4 PM)

Attendance: See below

Presentations

Potential Impacts of HR1 Cuts to Medicaid on Community Organizations
Ginny Shubert, JD, Senior Advisor, Policy and Research, Housing Works – g.shubert@housingworks.org

• View presentation here
• HR1, passed on July 2025, also known as the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” and the Working Families Tax Cut Legislation, made approximately $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid to help pay for tax cuts primarily benefiting high-income earners
• New Changes
  • Starting on January 1, 2027, Medicaid recipients ages 19 to 64 must show 80 hours per month of “community engagement”. Community engagement can include:
    • Income of $580 per month, or
    • 80 hours or more per month of the following activities: work, participation in a work program, enrollment in an educational program, community service, or some combination of these activities
    • Important Note: All members of a household can meet the requirements based on the hours or pay of one family member
  • On October 1, 2026, immigrant eligibility restrictions take effect
  • Recertification requirements for adults every 6 months or more, with look-back of one to three months
  • Retroactive Medicaid coverage drops from 90 days to one month starting January 1, 2027
  • New address verification requirements impacting all Medicaid enrollees, especially people experiencing homelessness or housing instability, youth transitioning from foster care, people leaving incarceration and Medicaid recipients living in unaffordable housing
• Recommendations: Make sure Medicaid enrollee address is updated, respond to all Medicaid-related mail promptly, seek support and resources, and ask doctors to ensure medical charts are updated with all medical conditions
  • Medicaid Work Requirement Resources
    • Medicaid Work Requirement One Pager
    • Changes to Medicaid Coverage | NY State of Health
    • Fact sheet: Medicaid work reporting requirements are coming | Medicaid Matters
  • NYC Health Dept Resources

Hep Free NYC Committee Updates

Advocacy Committee Update
Jeannine Garriga, Outreach Coordinator, HCMSG –  jeannine.hcmsg@gmail.com

• View presentation here
• View the NYC Council’s Viral Hepatitis Prevention Initiative FY 27 Ask
• For details on advocacy activities, view the advocacy membership description.

Communications Committee
Joy Cambe, MPH, Program Coordinator, Empire Liver Foundation – joycambe@empireliverfoundation.org

• For details on communication activities, view the communication membership description.
• Next Meeting: October 15 @ 10 AM

Viral Hepatitis State Budgets
Julie Ruttan, MS, Senior Policy Manager, NYS Health Dept. – julie.ruttan@health.ny.gov

• Two Hep C policy recommendations raised by community advocates:
  • Require all jails in NYS to offer opt-out Hep C screening to people who are incarcerated and on medications for opioid use disorder
  • Expand scope of practice to allow Nurse Practitioners, regardless of setting, to evaluate, diagnose, and prescribe treatment for Hep C
    • The NYS Nurse Practitioner Association has endorsed this recommendation

Attendance:

1. Abigail Hunter, abbynhunter@gmail.com
2. Alexis Brenes, abrenes@health.nyc.gov
3. Allison Donnelly, adonnelly@albanydamiencenter.org
4. Alma Chaves, achaves@health.nyc.gov
5. Autum Xu, autum@unc.edu
6. Brian Edlin, bredlin.nyc@gmail.com
7. Callie Janoff, janoffc@nychhc.org
8. Carolyn Wyker, cwyker@albanydamiencenter.org
9. Chelsea Allen, callen@albanydamiencenter.org
10. Christin Aucapina, aucapinc@nychhc.org
11. Claire Lorenzetti, claire.lorenzetti@phila.gov
12. Daemena Leocadio, daemena.leocadio@mssm.edu
13. Daryin Hummel, daryin.hummel@mssm.edu
14. Diana Diaz Munoz, ddiazmunoz@health.nyc.gov
15. Douglas Duncan, duncand13@nychhc.org
16. Eliza Chappelle, echappelle@totalhealthcare.org
17. Ellie Goldfarb, e.goldfarb@housingworks.org
18. Farah Riazi, friazi@health.nyc.gov
19. Farma Pene, fpene@heath.nyc.gov
20. Fatou Doumouya, fdoumouya@health.nyc.gov
21. Francina Collado, francina.collado@mssm.edu
22. Gina Chinese, gchinese@nysocialjustice.org
23. Ginny Shubert, g.shubert@housingworks.org
24. Hiawatha Collins, collins@harmreduction.org
25. James Learned, jlearned@thefamilycenter.org
26. Jeannine Garriga, jeannine.hcmsg@gmail.com
27. Jelani Cheek, jcheek@health.nyc.gov
28. Joy Cambe, joycambe@empireliverfoundation.org
29. Jules Levin, jules@natap.org
30. Julia Cohen, jcohen8@health.nyc.gov
31. Julie Ruttan, julie.ruttan@health.ny.gov
32. Kaitlyn Carrera, kaitlynmiranda515@gmail.com
33. Kaitlyn O’Dell, kodell@albanydamiencenter.org
34. Karina Escamilla, kescamilla@latinoaids.org
35. Kayla Kelly, kayla.kelly@vdh.virginia.gov
36. Leandra Urena, lurea@health.nyc.gov
37. Liz Tang, ltang@health.nyc.gov
38. Luis Worrell, luis@alliance.nyc
39. Luke Grandis, luke.grandis@health.ny.gov
40. Marie Bresnahan, mbresnahan@health.nyc.gov
41. Mealea VanDenburg, mvandenburg@albanydamiencenter.org
42. Medesa Garrett, mgarrett@sunriver.org
43. Meg Chappell, megchappell@empireliverfoundation.org
44. Mikaela Earl, mikaela.h.earl@wv.gov
45. Mike Selick, selick@harmreduction.org
46. Park Bogan, pbogan@albanydamiencenter.org 
47. Perla Romero, perla@alliance.nyc
48. Rahel Yosief, ryosief@health.nyc.gov
49. Ralicia Haughton, rhaughton@boomhealth.org
50. Reed Vreeland, rvreeland@health.nyc.gov
51. Robert Desrouleaux, robert.hcmsg@gmail.com
52. Ronni Marks, ronnimarks24@gmail.com
53. Roochele Myers-Stokes, rmyersstokes@health.nyc.gov
54. Rose Napoleaon, rnapoleon@longislandcrisiscenter.org
55. Samantha Rogers, samantha.rogers@kalcounty.gov
56. Selena Soto, s.soto2@housingworks.org
57. Shanza Rizwan, srizwan@health.nyc.gov
58. Steven Rose, steven.rose@downstate.edu
59. Tommy Byers, tbyers@co.orange.tx.us
60. Umaima Khatun, ukhatun@health.nyc.gov
61. Versalle Shelton, vshelton@health.nyc.gov
62. Yaoqi Lin, ylin9@health.nyc.gov

Last Updated on October 21, 2026 by HepFree NYC