Dear NFIB/New York member,
As a small business owner, I don't need to tell you that health insurance costs are out of control.
Between 2001 and 2007, health insurance premiums increased by a staggering 78 percent -- compared to the rate of inflation (17 percent) and earnings (19 percent) during that same period of time. It is no surprise that NFIB members have identified the cost of health insurance as their top concern for more than 20 years.
There is obviously no easy solution to this challenge, but it is clear that small business owners need more options to access the type of health insurance coverage they need and can afford. In the face of inaction, too many small business owners have been left with no choice but to discontinue health insurance coverage altogether.
That's why NFIB/New York fought hard for passage of legislation (S.6385A/A.395A) introduced by Assemblyman Joe Morelle and Sen. Jim Alesi which would increase small business access to affordable, basic health insurance coverage through the Healthy-NY program.
Presently, a small business is not eligible for Healthy-NY if it has offered health insurance coverage in the previous 12 months. The legislation we succeeded in getting passed would lift that "crowd out" provision, allowing small businesses and their employees to access this program without going a year without coverage. They would still have to meet the other requirements of the program, including income thresholds.
While we do not necessarily believe that Healthy-NY is a substitute for commercially available health insurance policies -- which offer a much more robust benefit package -- we think it offers a critical benefit for those small business owners who are simply unable to afford such coverage. Healthy-NY premiums are as much as 30 percent less than those of the average health insurance policy.
This legislation, which passed both the Senate and Assembly with strong bi-partisan support, is now headed to Gov. Paterson for his action. Passage of this bill was one of the most important victories for small business in this year's legislative session. However, health insurance companies and others who market health insurance policies are urging the governor to veto this bill.
We need your help to encourage the governor to sign this important legislation into law. Please take a moment to use the tool below contact Gov. Paterson and urge him to approve this bill. You can utilize the text we have prepared, or better yet, personalize it to discuss your own experiences paying for health insurance.
Sincerely,
Mike Elmendorf
State Director, NFIB/New York
