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Health Insurance Project

 
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Hard Times &
Health Insurance

To help New Yorkers maintain health insurance coverage after job loss, the Fund has produced a consumer guide on COBRA rules and other helpful federal and state programs.

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The lack of health insurance coverage is a critical flaw in our health care system.  Roughly 13 percent of New York State residents under age 65 have no health insurance coverage (based on 2009 data), including about 1.24 million New York City residents.

While nearly 5 million non-elderly state residents are covered by Medicaid (2011 data), an estimated 768,000 more were eligible for public health insurance but uninsured (2009 data).  Simultaneously, the proportion of workers with employer-sponsored coverage is declining, premiums in the individual market exceed $1,000 per month for most plans, and individual purchasers and covered workers alike are bearing an increasing share of their health care costs.

Through research, policy analysis, and grant support of model programs, the Fund's Health Insurance Project works to identify ways to expand and strengthen public and private health insurance, fashioning solutions that help New Yorkers find or maintain appropriate coverage.

The Health Insurance Project focuses primarily on four initiative areas:

•    Health Insurance Data and Analysis
•    Private Insurance Market
•    Blueprint for Universal Coverage
•    Making Public Programs Work
 

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Health Insurance Data and Analysis

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Health insurance data and analyses are the cornerstones of the Health Insurance Project's work.  By providing timely data on the uninsured and their characteristics, the Fund helps policymakers craft targeted strategies to expand and maintain coverage.

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Private Insurance Market

An estimated 10.2 million New Yorkers get health coverage through their employers—about half through insurance policies and the remainder through various self-insurance arrangements. New York-based insurers also cover many commuters from neighboring states through their employer-sponsored coverage.

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