Relates to expanding health insurance coverage under Healthy NY to retired persons who lose benefits offered from their previous employer through no fault of their own.

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S6331-2011 Actions

• Jan 26, 2012: REFERRED TO INSURANCE

S6331-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S6331

TITLE OF BILL:

An act
to amend the insurance law, in relation to expanding health insurance
coverage under the Health NY program to retired persons who had
insurance coverage from their previous employer and who lose such
health insurance benefits through no fault of their own

PURPOSE:

Expands the Healthy NY program for eligible retires who have lost
health insurance coverage at no fault of their own.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Adds item V to subparagraph A of subsection C to section 4326 of
the insurance law to
read a retired person who is ineligible for Medicare
and who, through his or her previous employer, had health insurance
coverage with benefits available during his or her retirement, and
through no fault of their own, loses such health insurance coverage.

JUSTIFICATION:

With the growing downsizing of corporations, people are being forced
to retire younger and younger. Many individuals, who retire prior to
age 65, often leave with an agreement from their respective companies
to receive health care benefits throughout their retirement.

Unfortunately, due to the economy and corporate cut backs, health
benefits for retirees are being eliminated. In these situations, many
retirees, who are not yet eligible for Medicare, are left uninsured.
This bill would provide a safety net for these retirees by qualifying
them for the Healthy NY program until they are Medicare eligible.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

Immediately.

S6331-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    6331

                              I N  SENATE

                              January 26, 2012
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen.  ROBACH -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance

  AN ACT to amend the insurance  law,  in  relation  to  expanding  health
    insurance  coverage under the Health NY program to retired persons who
    had insurance coverage from their previous employer and who lose  such
    health insurance benefits through no fault of their own

    THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section 1. Subparagraph (A)  of  paragraph  3  of  subsection  (c)  of
  section  4326 of the insurance law, as added by chapter 1 of the laws of
  1999, is amended to read as follows:

    (A) A qualifying individual is [an employed person]:

    (i) AN EMPLOYED PERSON who does not have and has not had health insur-
  ance with benefits on an expense reimbursed or prepaid basis during  the
  twelve  month  period  prior  to the individual's application for health
  insurance under the program established by this section;
    (ii) AN EMPLOYED PERSON whose employer does not provide  group  health
  insurance  and  has not provided group health insurance with benefits on
  an expense reimbursed or prepaid  basis  covering  employees  in  effect
  during the twelve month period prior to the individual's application for
  health insurance under the program established by this section;
    (iii)  AN  EMPLOYED  PERSON  WHO  resides  in a household having a net
  household income at or below two hundred eight percent of  the  non-farm
  federal  poverty level (as defined and updated by the federal department
  of health and human services)  or  the  gross  equivalent  of  such  net
  income; and
    (iv) AN EMPLOYED PERSON WHO is ineligible for Medicare; OR
    (V)  A  RETIRED PERSON WHO IS INELIGIBLE FOR MEDICARE AND WHO, THROUGH
  HIS OR HER PREVIOUS EMPLOYER, HAD HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE  WITH  BENE-
  FITS  AVAILABLE  DURING  HIS  OR HER RETIREMENT, AND THROUGH NO FAULT OF
  THEIR OWN, LOSES SUCH HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE.
    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD14228-02-2