HCFANY appointed to Governor’s health care Advisory Committee

Posted on August 31, 2010 by hcfany

Today Governor Paterson announced the 37 organizations, including HCFANY and many of our partners, that will make up the new external Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee will provide input to the Health Care Reform Cabinet and ensure that consumers and other stakeholders have an opportunity to weigh in on the important decisions the State will be making as health care reform is implemented.

In April, HCFANY urged the Governor to create a workgroup with diverse consumer participation, and we are pleased to see that the new Committee has many consumer advocacy organizations. Many of HCFANY’s member organizations will have a seat on the Committee, in addition to HCFANY’s appointment, including: Children’s Defense Fund, Community Service Society, Family Planning Advocates, Medicare Rights Center, the New York Immigration Coalition, and New Yorkers for Accessible Health Coverage. Our friends at the Empire Justice Center and Medicaid Matters were also appointed.

The Governor’s press release, with a full list of the organizations appointed to the Advisory Committee and the Committee’s responsibilities, is available here.

We look forward to working with the other members of the Advisory Committee to make sure that New York State is able to leverage the opportunities of health care reform to achieve affordable, comprehensive, high quality health care for all!

Filed under: Affordable, Comprehensive Coverage, Employer Sponsored Health Insurance, Governor Paterson, Insurance reform, New York Health Reform, Underinsured, Uninsured, health care for all new york | Leave a Comment »

Updates on NYS Implementation Efforts Straight to your Inbox!

Posted on August 25, 2010 by hcfany

New York State has created an electronic newsletter to report on progress in implementing health reform in NYS.

View the first edition here!

To have these updates emailed directly to you inbox, send an email to healthcarereform@chamber.state.ny.us  and request to be added to the distribution list.

Filed under: Governor Paterson | Leave a Comment »

New York’s Pre-Existing Insurance Plan is Open

Posted on August 20, 2010 by hcfany

The new federal health reform law establishes insurance programs for people with high medical needs.

New York’s Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) is administered by Group Health Incorporated (GHI) and is starting today. Individuals with a pre-existing conditions and who have not had health insurance for six months are eligible.

For additional information including the application, click here.

Filed under: Affordable, Comprehensive Coverage, Insurance reform | Leave a Comment »

The Roadap to Health Reform Implementation in New York

Posted on August 17, 2010 by hcfany

The New York State Health Foundation (NYSHF) has issued an in-depth report on federal health care reform implementation.

Implementing Federal Health Care Reform: A Roadmap for New York State, authored by Manatt Health Solutions and NYSHF Visiting Fellow–and former New York State Medicaid Director–Deborah Bachrach, looks at the challenges and opportunities health care reform presents in New York State and concludes that health care reform will require an overhaul of the State’s existing regulatory and delivery infrastructure. The State government and other stakeholders will also have to  create an Exchange(s), expand access to care, and reform the payment and delivery system. Read more here.

Filed under: Comprehensive Coverage, Governor Paterson, Insurance reform | Leave a Comment »

And on the 125th Day, There Was A Vote

Posted on August 4, 2010 by hcfany

Last night the Senate passed the revenue portion of the budget last night, the last remaining piece that had previously been passed by the Assembly.

Read more here: Albany Times Union

Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Prior Approval Accolades

Posted on July 23, 2010 by hcfany

photos courtesy of Sen. Oppenheimer

Earlier this week HCFANY advocates joined Senator Suzi Oppenheimer at a press event at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains to announce the reinstatement of prior approval.

Read more here.

Filed under: Affordable, Insurance reform | Leave a Comment »

New York’s Small Businesses get help to provide health care

Posted on July 20, 2010 by hcfany

A Helping Hand for New York’s Small Businesses, a new report released today by Families USA and the Small Business Majority, determined that approximately 285,000 New York small businesses are eligible for tax credits under the new health reform law.

Starting this year, businesses with fewer than 25 workers and average wages of less than $50,000 will be eligible to receive a tax credit for the health insurance that they provide for their employees. The value of the credit this year (and until 2014) is up to 35 percent of the employer’s costs for employee coverage (and up to 25 percent of the costs for nonprofit employers).

Read the joint Families USA-Small Business Majority press statement on the report’s findings here.

Filed under: Affordable, Premiums, Small Business | Leave a Comment »

New, Unacceptable Guidelines for Women’s Health

Posted on July 16, 2010 by hcfany

From HCFANY’s partner, Raising Women’s Voices for the Health Care We Need!–

Yesterday, the Obama administration shocked women’s health organizations by announcing it had decided to sharply restrict abortion coverage in the new federally-subsidized “high-risk pool” insurance plans that will be offered to people with pre-existing conditions, such as breast cancer and diabetes.

The coverage will only be allowed in cases of rape, incest or danger to the woman’s life, according to a press statement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The administration’s decision will mean thousands of women with serious medical conditions will lack coverage for abortions they may need because of risks to their health — or the health of a developing fetus – from medical complications or treatments such as chemotherapy. These women will not even be permitted to use their own premium dollars to buy this coverage through the new federal and state high-risk pool plans.

Take Action!
Contact the White House and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius NOW to say this decision is unacceptable! Tell the administration that women with pre-existing medical conditions need abortion coverage!

To reach the White House:
Call: (202) 456-1111; Email: public@who.eop.gov

To reach the Department of Health and Human Services:
Call: (877) 696-6775; Email: http://www.hhs.gov/feedback.html

Filed under: Comprehensive Coverage, Insurance reform, Underinsured, Uninsured, Women, young adult | Leave a Comment »

www.healthcare.gov

Posted on July 2, 2010 by hcfany

Yesterday’s website launch marked the accomplishment of a major health reform milestone. The website is the first of its kind to act as a national library, placing both public and private health insurance options in a single place.

The site is an ongoing work and states are encouraged to supply comments and program information so that consumers have a full palate of information at their fingertips. HCFANY is collecting comments to incorporate into a memo that will be sent to HHS in the following weeks.

Here are some ideas for improvements we’ve already heard:

  • Translation into languages other than English
  • More information about women’s health issues and insurance issues
  • More detailed information about New York State-specific insurance rules, like extension of COBRA benefits to 36 months

We want to hear from you!
Please visit the website and send us your thoughts on what you like and what can be improved.

Filed under: health care for all new york | Leave a Comment »

New York’s Small Businesses Empowered by New Ability to Offer Affordable Health Insurance

Posted on July 1, 2010 by hcfany

The State Legislature’s budget deal this week included a little-known provision to fix the State’s Family Health Plus Employer Buy-In (EBI) program.  Leveraging the new tax credits under federal health reform, the Legislature’s move will help small business across New York buy comprehensive, affordable health care coverage for as little as $157 per employee per month.

The EBI program enables employers and union benefit funds to buy-in to New York’s popular Family Health Plus program, which has a comprehensive benefit package. However, last year the State issued rates which pegged individual premiums at roughly $540 per month, gutting any potential market for the program.

The State’s move to fix the program includes most of the provisions outlined in a newly released report by the Community Service Society: Three Steps to Affordable Health Coverage for New York’s Employers. The Legislature’s measures include:

  1. The adoption of modest co-payments;
  2. The adoption of an “out-of-network” Medicaid default rate;
  3. The targeting of the program to businesses and unions that currently do not provide coverage or are in jeopardy of losing coverage.

Collectively, these measures lower the previously existing premium of $540 per month by about 30% to about $365 per month.  For small businesses who qualify for federal tax credits, the premiums could run as low as $157 per month for an employer and $104 per month for the employee.

Filed under: Affordable, Employer Sponsored Health Insurance, Insurance reform, Premiums, Small Business | Leave a Comment »

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