Health care isn’t just a right in theory, it must be a right in practice. Today I’m announcing a plan to guarantee health care for all New Yorkers. Through our own public option and a new program called NYC Care, we’ll ensure the first stop for people isn’t the emergency room. — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) January 8, 2019

Breaking news: Mayor tells @Morning_Joe & @WillieGeist that NYC will begin guaranteeing comprehensive health care to every resident, regardless of someone’s ability pay or immigration status. There are 600k uninsured in New York City right now. pic.twitter.com/AIl1eMS2qd — Eric Phillips (@EricFPhillips) January 8, 2019

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday that New York City is rolling out a $100-million-per-year program to provide health care to all residents, including undocumented immigrants.The new program, NYC Care, will ensure health care for the estimated 600,000 people without health insurance in the city.The mayor said he believes too many city residents turn to hospital emergency rooms for health care. Instead, NYC Care is intended to connect these New Yorkers with primary-care doctors, specialty care, mental health services and prescription drugs.Health care will be guaranteed to all residents, regardless of someone's ability to pay or immigration status.The plan calls for strengthening the city's public health insurance option, MetroPlus, and guaranteeing anyone ineligible for insurance -- including undocumented New Yorkers -- has direct access to NYC Health + Hospitals' physicians, pharmacies and mental health and substance abuse services. MetroPlus currently insures more than 500,000 low-income New Yorkers."Health care is a right, not a privilege reserved for those who can afford it," Mayor de Blasio said. "While the federal government works to gut health care for millions of Americans, New York City is leading the way by guaranteeing that every New Yorker has access to quality, comprehensive access to care, regardless of immigration status or their ability to pay."Patients will be charged on a sliding scale, with the poorest New Yorkers paying nothing.De Blasio said the program will begin this summer and will take two years to fully implement. He calls it "the most comprehensive health care system in the nation."The price tag, however, draws concern for Michael Long, chairman of the Conservative Party of New York State."(The mayor) feels very free to spend taxpayers' money at any cost, which is only going to lead to higher taxes and drive more, actually lower income people out of the city."Others who have benefited from affordable care support the plan."I know there are still hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who aren't covered. People who are forgoing treatment are fighting for their lives while they fight hospital bills that they can't afford," said Mina Schultz, a cancer survivor, and health care advocate.The mayor's office provided these additional details:----------