Weekly News from State Senator Gustavo Rivera!

 

SENATOR RIVERA JOINS ST. ANN'S CORNER OF HARM REDUCTION AT THEIR WEEKLY SYRINGE CLEAN-UP

This week, Senator Rivera joined staff from St. Ann's Corner of Harm Reduction at their weekly syringe clean-up. The cleaning route started at Poe Park, moved on to the Kingsbridge Underpass, then St. James Park, and finally Aqueduct Walk. Thank you to Karla, Steven, and Edgar from Community Board 7 and Council Member Pierina Sanchez for your partnership on this important effort! 

SENATOR RIVERA'S TEAM & THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS HOSTS IDNYC ENROLLMENT POP-UP

This week, Senator Rivera's team and the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs hosted an IDNYC Enrollment Pop-Up event.

An IDNYC mobile van was stationed outside our district office, helping eligible New Yorkers apply for a new ID or renew an existing one.

IDNYC is a free, city-issued photo ID card for residents aged 10 and older. It can help you access City services, museum memberships, and more.

Thank you to the NYC Department of Social Services for making this possible. Click here to apply for a new IDNYC!

SENATOR RIVERA HOSTS MEET AND GREET AT BRONX HOUSE!

Senator Rivera had a great time meeting with seniors at Bronx House. The Senator answered questions about Medicaid, home care (CDPAP), food insecurity, and his legislative priorities for this session.

Thank you to Howie Martin, Chief Executive Officer at Bronx House, for making this possible and to the seniors for the warm welcome!

Senator Rivera recently sat with Elise Klein of New York NOW to discuss at length the continuous failures in the transition of the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) to PPL's management.

"The transition with PPL was a complete mess. The website didn't work. People couldn't get anyone on the phone. The offices were physically empty, there was no staff. And this happened while the Commissioner of Health lied. I want to be very clear about that: the Commissioner of Health lied about the resources available to people trying to make the transition. He said, 'go to the offices,' but there was no staff there..." said Senator Rivera.

Watch the full interview here.

UPDATE FROM HRA: FIND YOUR MEDICAID RENEWAL STATUS ONLINE OR BY PHONE

During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) instructed the State Department of Health, which oversees HRA, to temporarily suspend the closure of Medicaid cases for clients who failed to respond to renewal forms sent to their address of record.

This suspension will end in April 2025, marking the conclusion of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency unwind. Going forward, only clients who receive and respond to their renewal forms and are deemed eligible will continue to receive Medicaid benefits.

Clients who do not respond to their renewal will have their cases closed, starting with those whose authorization ends in April 2025. No further extensions will be granted, and these clients will begin receiving their renewal forms by mail as early as January.

A cover letter titled “Act Now! Medicaid Renewal Rules Have Changed” (MAP3185a) will be included with all Medicaid renewal notices. This letter will inform clients that they or someone in their household must complete a Medicaid renewal to maintain eligibility for services and will outline the necessary steps to successfully renew their Medicaid coverage. 

The City has also created a dedicated Palm Card with instructions to help clients find their current Medicaid renewal status online via ACCESS HRA or by phone at 888-692- 6116.

THIS WEEKEND 04/26 - 04/27: MTA SERVICE CHANGES

SATURDAY 04/26: NYC DOT ANNOUNCES INITIAL 2025 OPEN STREETS AND PROGRAMMING FOR CAR-FREE EARTH DAY

New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) announced the launch of the Open Streets season with 127 Open Streets to come online this spring, as well as programming details for this year's annual Open Streets: Car Free Earth Day (CFED) on Saturday, April 26, which will feature 54 car-free streets and plazas throughout the five boroughs.

This year's Car-Free Earth Day connects Open Streets and plazas while providing access to over 1,000 miles of NYC's bike network, with each location showcasing public art or community programming. Car-free operations will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Click here for more info.

Free Citi Bike Rides

Through the support of Lyft, Citi Bike will offer free unlimited 30-minute rides on a classic Citi Bike on Car-Free Earth Day for 24 hours. All riders may take advantage of the offer. To redeem your free pass, enter promo code CARFREENYC25 on the "Day Pass" tab of the Citi Bike app.

A MORE JUST NYC: FELLOWSHIP PAID SUMMER OPPORTUNITY