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State offers new health care plan

Oct 30, 2015 6:02 am
Dan Goldberg is reporting at Politico New York about the state's new Essential Health Plan, which will begin covering New Yorkers in January. The new plan is an experiment in cost reduction that aims to attract the more than one million New Yorkers who still do not have health insurance. New York, in part because of its unique Medicaid program is planning to offer this type of plan, which was created by the Affordable Care Act. The Essential Health Plan offers additional subsidies for health insurance to people who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but still find private health insurance too costly. The plan offers New Yorkers, who income qualify, insurance with minimal or no premium cost. And there is no deductible. Enrollment is open all year and most insurers offering plans on the exchange offer an essential plan. The plan is projected to save the state $300 million per year because the federal government will now be subsidizing insurance for many people who had been receiving state-funded Medicaid. Open enrollment starts Sun., Nov. 1. Read the full story at Politico New York.