Several town residents speaking at a recent board meeting said the state action would reduce costs for Medicare patients.

“If you’re on traditional Medicare, you spend hundreds of dollars a month on Part B Medigap insurance and Part D pharmaceutical,” Janet Asiain said. “If you’re on the Advantage plan, you have co-pays, deductibles and all kinds of out-of-pocket expenses, which really mount up.”

Tamara Schuppin said traditional health insurance plans have deductibles that can drain bank accounts before benefits kick in.

“It would affect me in a big way if I had health care that actually covered my needs,” she said. “I currently have a plan with a $10,500 deductible, and I pay several hundred dollars for that every month. It’s not health care. It’s in case I have a catastrophe to keep ... from having our savings wiped out.”

David Minch said the state action would help improve New York’s business climate.

“It would be a magnet for New York state to have people coming back in, as businesses could be freed up of the health care [insurance] that they have to supply,” he said.

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