Lawmakers in New York are being urged to propose a bill that would establish a health insurance exchange program in the state. Exchanges are one of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. All states are required to establish one by 2014, but several advocacy groups say that there is no time to waste. One of these groups, Health Care for All New York, hosted a press conference late last week, calling upon legislators to take action. “Over a million New Yorkers will be getting insurance through this program,” says…
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Hopes of change with New York health insurance exchange in place
In accordance with the Affordable Care Act passed last year, the state of New York is seeking to create a new agency that will run a federally mandated health insurance exchange. The state has long sought to find a means of providing coverage to some 2.5 million of its uninsured residents. Despite years of effort, officials have never been able to bring that number down. Many New Yorkers are hoping that the coming exchange will alleviate some of the difficulty in obtaining comprehensive coverage at a reasonable price, but still…
Read MoreNew Jersey: Government run health plan looking to close their doors
In New Jersey, hundreds of cities and school districts have saved a fortune by taking part in the state’s relatively unknown benefits program. For the past three years, an increasing number of people are dropping the insurance policies they bought from big name companies in favor of the state’s program. Some legislators are looking to change that by proposing a new bill that could severely inhibit the program. Stephen M. Sweeney, the State Senate president, is proposing legislation that would prohibit the state run insurance program from accepting new members.…
Read MoreSteps towards health care reform insurance exchange programs
The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded $241 million to seven states to help fund their design and implementation of insurance exchanges. Awarded to “Early Innovator” states, the money will help establish the infrastructure needed to operate the exchanges. The HHS is encouraging that others follow the example set by these states when they begin building their own exchanges. The seven states, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Wisconsin, will share the funds – larger states will receive more than smaller states. They were selected based…
Read MoreNew York employees receiving health insurance from employers decreasing
Before 2001, 69% of New York workers received health insurance from their employers. That year, those covered by employer health plans dropped to 58%. This puts city workers below the state average. Sixty-five percent of workers nationwide obtain their health insurance from their employers. Seventy percent of New York companies offer health insurance; this has stayed steady. In 2009 only 60% of companies nationwide offered health insurance. According to David Sandman, senior vice president of the New York State Health Foundation, “Job-based coverage is the backbone of the United…
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