Federal Health Care on the Move

Posted on January 28, 2009 by hcfany

The Senate rejected two proposed amendments to the SCHIP reauthorization legislation yesterday, thwarting GOP efforts to keep children of legal immigrants off of public health insurance.  Rather than the 5-year waiting period under the current law, the amendment would have required states to have 95% of eligible children enrolled – a nearly impossible task –  before children [...]

Filed under: Children, Employer Sponsored Health Insurance, Immigrants, Insurance reform, State Department of Health, Uninsured | Tagged: | Comments Off

Balance Billing Breaks the Bank

Posted on January 21, 2009 by hcfany

Surprise health bills are not uncommon for anyone who has ever experienced a health emergency, and the amounts charged for these services – particularly if they were rendered outside of the patient’s health insurance network – can be enough to send some spiraling into bankruptcy.  Today’s Crain’s Health Pulse Extra highlights what health care providers [...]

Filed under: Balance billing, Comprehensive Coverage, Insurance reform, Medical debt, Medicare | Tagged: | Comments Off

Courageous Coverage Proposals for Unemployed in House Stimulous Package

Posted on January 16, 2009 by hcfany

Manatt Health Solutions found three little-noticed, but excellent, health coverage provisions in the US House of Representatives stimulus bill. Read it here.  A full summary of the House Stimulus proposal can be viewed here The first would provide $30 billion to pay a 65% subsidy for the first 12 months of COBRA for workers who lost their jobs [...]

Filed under: Affordable, Comprehensive Coverage, Employer Sponsored Health Insurance, Insurance reform | Comments Off

NY Health Foundation Releases Columbia U Report Comparing State Health Reform Proposals

Posted on January 16, 2009 by hcfany

A report released today by the New York State Health Foundation is the first to compare proposals on the basis of: the number of people who would gain coverage; drop private coverage in favor of public options; and how each plan would increase statewide health care spending–including the cost to State government to finance expansions. [...]

Filed under: Affordable, Comprehensive Coverage, Insurance reform | Comments Off

Vote Yes! on SCHIP

Posted on January 14, 2009 by hcfany

This week–as early as today–Congress is gearing up to renew and expand the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Under the bill, SCHIP would provide funding to cover 10 million children, four million more than the current bill. This SCHIP vote is especially important for states like New York, which currently must use state-only dollars to [...]

Filed under: Children, Comprehensive Coverage, Immigrants, Insurance reform | Comments Off

Laid off New Yorkers Unable to Keep Health Insurance

Posted on January 9, 2009 by hcfany

A new report released today by Families USA-Squeezed, Caught between Unemployment Benefit and Health Care Costs-shows that to maintain employer-based health coverage under COBRA most unemployed people would have to devote an unrealistically high proportion of their incomes to health insurance.    New Yorkers who lose their jobs, like most American workers, find it difficult if [...]

Filed under: Affordable, Employer Sponsored Health Insurance, Insurance reform | Comments Off

Devilish Detail in Paterson’s Young Adult Coverage Proposal

Posted on January 7, 2009 by hcfany

Today Governor Paterson proposed to extend a COBRA-like insurance benefit to young people up to the age of 29 through the parent’s policies.  HCFANY had supported this concept thus far.  However, the poison pill in the Governor’s version of our proposal seeks to “age rate” these young  people, a dangerous move for New York’s health insurance [...]

Filed under: Comprehensive Coverage, Governor Paterson, Insurance reform | 1 Comment »

Project addresses upstate farmers insurance woes

Posted on January 6, 2009 by hcfany

The Watertown Daily News reported today that the New York State Health Foundation awarded a half-million dollar grant to Agri-Services Agency, a subsidiary of Dairylea Cooperative Inc., to help farmers and agribusiness owners obtain health insurance in rural New York. Rising health care costs are felt acutely in New York State’s rural communities. The project [...]

Filed under: Small Business, Underinsured, Uninsured | Comments Off

HCFANY submits suggestions to HHS Secretary-Designate Tom Daschle

Posted on January 5, 2009 by hcfany

As part of the December 17, 2008 annual meeting HCFANY sent a report to Tom Daschle answering questions put forth by the Obama-Biden Transition project on health care access, affordability and services.  Members stated that the biggest problem in the health care system is the cost of health insurance.  All surveys indicated strong support for [...]

Filed under: Affordable, Insurance reform | Comments Off

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