Frequently Asked Questions
The New York Health Act is a necessary piece of legislation that will do immense good for every New Yorker.
Q: What does the NY Health Act cover?
The NY Health Act will fully cover medical care, dental, vision, hearing, prescription drugs and long-term care services and supports. New Yorkers would gain access to all benefits required by current state insurance law or provided by the state public employee package, Family Health Plus, Medicare and Medicaid.
Q: Who does the NY Health Act cover?
NY Health covers every New York resident and full time worker in the state. Coverage is available regardless of your health, financial or employment status. Under the NYHA, there will be no more deductibles, co-pays, out of pocket costs or restricted networks.
Q: How will the New York Health Act save money?
Under the New York Health Act, the bureaucracy and administrative waste will be removed from our healthcare system, saving billions each year and allowing our money to go directly toward care. By moving every resident and full-time worker in the state on to NYH benefits, New York will have the negotiating power of 20 million people, thereby saving even more. Conservative studies show that even with adding long term care, dental, vision and hearing to NYH benefits, New York will save 11.4 billion annually. Additionally, studies show that over 90% of New Yorkers will spend less than they do now on healthcare costs with NY Health.
Q: Won’t there be long wait times for doctors?
In our current, overly complex health system, we have long wait times, in part due to the complexities in navigating insurance companies. Studies have shown that doctors spend on average 10-15 hours on administrative tasks related to insurance companies per week. Under the NYHA, physicians will have an additional 10-15 hours back each week to spend on patient care.
Q: Will I pay more or less for healthcare with the NYHA?
Over 90% of New Yorkers will pay less than they do now for healthcare costs. Under NYHA, there will be no deductibles, copays or out of pocket costs. Instead, New Yorkers will pay a progressively graduated tax based on ability to pay. Every employer is mandated to pay a minimum of 80% of the healthcare cost and employees will pay no more than 20%. This model creates a fair funding stream that eliminates profit driven price increases while controlling healthcare costs.
Q: What will the NYHA mean for rural and safety net hospitals?
Generally, many rural and safety net hospitals serve a high population of Medicaid and uninsured patients. This payer mix poses financial challenges as Medicaid reimbursement rates are often lower than those from private insurance, and uncompensated care (care provided to uninsured patients) can strain hospital budgets, often making it difficult for hospitals to remain open. The NY Health Act will increase provider rates above Medicare levels, thereby helping to stabilize these hospitals and ensure that every New Yorker gets care and every hospital is fairly compensated.
Q: How will NY Health affect property taxes?
The New York Health Act saves counties billions by eliminating local contributions. NYHA would end the requirement for local districts to pay part of the cost for Medicaid and replaces those payments with revenue from the assessments under the NYH revenue proposal. This simultaneously terminates county (including local municipalities and schools) Medicaid payments while providing Medicaid beneficiaries (and everyone else) with better, more comprehensive coverage. Those savings can be used to lower property taxes (often significantly) and/or to reinvest back into communities.
Q: How will NY Health work with my Medicare?
Every NYH member will maintain their Medicare eligibility and will enjoy the added benefits including vision, dental, hearing, full drug coverage, full mental health coverage and long-term care. Medicare Advantage plans and Medigap co-insurance will no longer be necessary.
Q: Can I buy private insurance?
Under this proposal, private insurance that duplicates benefits offered under New York Health could not be offered to New York residents. But a private market could remain for coverage of benefits that might be outside the NY Health program, like cosmetic surgery.
Q: What if a person moves out of state?
New York Health covers New York residents and full time workers. Retirees who live out of state for part of the year will be covered by New York Health as long as they are considered state residents.
Q: What if a person is temporarily out of state and needs care?
New York Health will pay for healthcare while someone is temporarily out of state and needs health care there. It will also pay if there are special reasons why someone needs health care from an out-of-state provider.
Q: How will this affect union health plans?
New York Health will offer the most comprehensive health benefits in the country, with no deductibles, co-pays or limited networks. Instead of negotiating for health benefits, unions will be able to put all their efforts into negotiating for other benefits like higher wages and more paid time off. Unions that have negotiated low or zero worker contributions to a health plan will negotiate the same arrangement for the worker share of the payroll tax. Union-sponsored clinics will be able to continue serving union members – and anyone else if they should choose – and be paid by New York Health.
The bill mandates that any benefit previously negotiated for public unions prior to the New York Health Act will remain after implementation of the New York Health Act.
Q: What doctors and hospitals will I be able to use?
There will be no restricted network of providers. Every health care provider in the state will be able to participate, and patients can go to whichever provider they choose.
Q: Will doctors and hospitals be required to participate?
No. However, there would be no other coverage to pay a non-participating provider.
Q: What if I am self-employed or a sole proprietor?
You will pay the entire assessment, like you do now. However, there will be no deductibles or copays. At least 90% of New Yorkers will save money under the NY Health Act.
Q: Is universal healthcare radical, socialism?
No. The New York Health Act isn’t “radical,” or “Socialism,” “Marxism,” “Communism,” or any other “-ism.”
America is the only industrialized country in the world without universal care. And while we pay the most compared to every other country, we have amongst the worst global healthcare outcomes. The only thing radical is that we let New Yorkers get sick and die rather than provide life saving care that is readily available.
New York Health keeps your healthcare between you and your doctor, instead of you and an army of insurance bureaucrats looking to profit from denying your claims and care. New York Health just pays the bills. Like Medicare, which is public health coverage but is not “socialized medicine.”