Health Care
The State of New York provides low cost health insurance options for some of its low-income residents. The Health Care Reform Act of 2000 brought about the program called Healthy New York. It provides comprehensive health care coverage to working people and their families. Between 2001 and 2006 Healthy NY enrolled more than 296,250 people. All participants pay monthly premiums based primarily on what is covered and family size.
Scope
The Healthy NY program is designed to assist three kinds of enrollees. One group is small business owners who need help providing insurance for employees. Sole proprietors of businesses, working individuals and working families may also be eligible for the program. In 2006, most Healthy NY enrollees, 56 percent, were working individuals, 17 percent of enrollees were sole proprietors and 27 percent were small businesses. All Healthy NY plans are administered by HMOs in New York State. The plan is offered by all HMOs in the state, and to be enrolled you must contact the HMO you choose. All benefits packages are the same no matter which HMO you choose.
Coverage
Healthy NY covers essential health care needs. Inpatient and outpatient hospital services are covered. Preventative health care, maternity care, doctors' visits, diagnostic and X-ray services and emergency services are provided. Some available packages include a limited prescription drug benefit. A full schedule of benefits and complete information about eligibility requirements, income limitations and costs can be found at the Healthy NY website, healthyny.com.
Eligibility
Healthy NY participants must reside in New York State, be currently employed or have been employed with the past 12 months. They must have no employer-provided health insurance currently or within the past 12 months unless they meet certain exceptions, such as loss of employment, termination of COBRA, death of a family member, discontinuation of a health plan and other exceptions.
Income Limits
The Healthy NY Income Guidelines as of 2010 allow an individual to earn up to $2,257 monthly and still be eligible. A family of three can have an income of up to $3,815. A six-person family can earn up to $6,153 monthly. For calculation, generally add $780 income per month per family member to find the income limits. Women who are pregnant should be counted as two persons.
Cost
Healthy NY coverage costs vary from county to county and by the month in which you enroll. They also offer different options of coverage. In New York County for example, minimum coverage costs around $250 monthly for an individual and $738 for a family. Options with more benefits run from $368 for an individual to $1,088.00 for a family. Enrollees may also consider a plan with a high deductible to lower monthly rates.
Contacts
Guidebooks and applications for Healthy NY can be found at the program website: Healthyny.com or by calling 866-HEALTHY or 1-866-432-5849.
Speech or hearing impaired New Yorkers may use the TDD/TTY relay in your area to access the toll-free number: 866-432-5849
