ACTION ALERT:
WED. MAY 18, 10 a.m., New York City
State Public Hearing On New "Health Insurance Exchange"

 One of the major provisions of the Affordable Care Act is the creation of new state-based “health insurance exchanges” to provide a competitive marketplace for individuals, families, and small groups to purchase health insurance. They will open in 2014. Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature are trying to craft legislation to begin setting up a new exchange, to be considered by the legislature before the end of this year’s session in late June. If New York does so, the state will be able to access five years of funding to set up and operate the exchange.

Governor Cuomo’s office is holding public forums across the state next week to hear from the public on this matter. The New York City hearing will be on Wed. May 18 starting at 10 a.m. at Baruch College in Manhattan. The announcement below describes it, and includes a link to register to speak.

When you register, there are some suggested questions to be addressed. While this matter may seem “policy-wonky”, we urge people to attend and speak. The good news is that you do NOT have to be a health policy expert or address all the detailed questions. All you have to do is tell YOUR own story about how you want and need government to “go to bat” for you, your family, and/or your small business in the health insurance marketplace, whether you have public or private coverage, or even if you are uninsured. Just talk about what YOU need in terms of health care coverage, in 5 minutes or less - everyone’s an expert in that!

On the other hand, if your group or union wants to testify in a more policy-oriented way, we urge you to do so. Our statewide coalition, Health Care for All New York (www.hcfany.org) has lots of background information for you to look over and use at www.hcfany.org.

If New York sets up our health insurance exchange right, it can be used as a foundation to move toward true universal health care over this decade, much as Vermont is already trying to do. Your voice can urge Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature to get moving on the job this year. Last year, Congress and the President did its job to fix health care, now it’s time for New York!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OFFFICAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

May 10, 2011

State Insurance Department Announces Public Forums
on the Health Insurance Exchange

 New Yorkers are invited to a series of public forums to present their ideas on the design of New York’s Health Insurance Exchange. We invite stakeholders including health care consumers, administrators, doctors, hospitals and other health care providers, insurers, producers, businesses, unions, academics, and the general public to participate in this series of public forums.

The forums will be held on the following dates:

Albany, Monday, 5/16: 10:00am-2:00pm, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Ballrooms C & D

Syracuse, Tuesday, 5/17: 1:00-5:00pm, Everson Museum of Art, Hosmer Auditorium

New York City, Wednesday, 5/18: 10:00am-2:00pm, Baruch College, Vertical Campus Conference Center

Rochester, Thursday, 5/19: 2:00-5:30pm, Monroe Community College, Brighton Campus, Building 4 Theater

Statewide Call-In Forum, Monday, 5/23: 12:30-3:30pm, Call-in information will be sent to registered participants

Everyone who wishes to attend a forum is asked to register in advance through the forum's specific registration page. Registration information, as well as speaker instructions, is available at www.HealthCareReform.ny.gov

More Resources:

 <http://www.HealthCareReform.ny.gov> www.HealthCareReform.ny.gov

Visit the federal government’s health care reform website for more information www.healthcare.gov   This website describes health insurance options that are available and the Affordable Care Act.

 All past updates about health care reform implementation in New York are available at
www.HealthCareReform.ny.gov