With the start of the 2022 legislative session, advocates are pushing for passage of the NY Health Act, which would establish a government-run, single payer healthcare system in New York. A democratic super-majority in both the Senate and Assembly, the announcement that the long-time Assembly bill sponsor is retiring, as well as a new Governor, is giving advocates hope that 2022 is the year that single payer healthcare will finally be passed. But what does government-run, single payer healthcare mean for small businesses?

The legislation would establish a one-size-fits-all government-run health care system, eliminating all private health insurance coverage in the state. It would increase taxes by more than $250 billion with the bulk of these costs borne by employers, and would eliminate more than 160,000 jobs across the state. This would be the largest tax increase in the state’s history that will make the state a less attractive place to operate a business. For these reasons, nearly 80 percent of NFIB members oppose government-run, single payer healthcare.

NFIB continues to advocate on behalf of small businesses by voicing our strong opposition to the NY Health Act and encourages small business owners to take action by reaching out to their state senators and assembly members.

NFIB has also joined a coalition, the Realities of Single Payer, to educate lawmakers about the problems with single payer healthcare. The coalition is made up of more than 150 advocacy organizations like NFIB, businesses, physicians, and hospitals. For more information on the NY Health Act and the coalition, visit https://realitiesofsinglepayer.com/.