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History
- Referred to insurance
- Referred to insurance
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Alters requirements applicable to health insurance secured by qualifying small businesses
In Assembly Committee · Insurance · Sponsor Joseph Morelle
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to standardized health insurance contracts for qualifying small employers and individuals
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this bill is to expand and enhance the availability of health care coverage for small businesses in New York State.
Summary of specific provisions
This bill would amend the Health Care Reform Act (HCRA) 2000 to include more small businesses within the definition of a qualifying small employer by removing the requirement that a small business must not have offered health insurance for a 12 month period prior to application to the group health insurance program.
Justification
The Health Care Reform Act 2000 will provide many New Yorkers with quality and affordable health care when fully enacted in 2001. This important measure also sought to cut health care costs for businesses and enable more businesses to provide their employees with health insurance.
However, in order for a small business to qualify for the health insurance coverage, it must not have offered health insurance to its employees within the 12 month period prior to applying for the program. This restriction essentially precludes a small business that has been providing health insurance from taking advantage of HCRA 2000 and only allows those companies that have not been providing health insurance to enter the program. While the overall goal of HCRA 2000 was to provide affordable health insurance to individuals that previously were uninsured, a small business should not be penalized for providing health insurance to its employees and should be allowed to participate in the small business subsidy program.
By removing the requirement that a small business must not have offered health insurance for a 12 month period prior to application to the group health insurance program, more small businesses will be able to offer affordable health care to their employees.
Prior legislative history
2001-02: A.2132 2003-04: A.914-A 2005-06: A.1558-A 2007-08: A.395-A/S.638S-A - Vetoed (VM 137)
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
January 1, 2010.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.