State Senate Passes Senator Breslin’s Bill Authorizing Demonstration Program to Make Health Insurance More Affordable

Tuesday  July 21, 2009

(Albany, New York)- State Senator Neil D. Breslin (D-Delmar) is pleased to announce that legislation he sponsored, Senate bill 4602A, was passed by the New York State Senate last week.  This legislation will provide more affordable health insurance options to independent contractors, part-time workers, temporary workers and other individuals.

Under this legislation, the demonstration program will test new models for enabling independent workers to create their own health insurance programs that meet their special needs, while ensuring compliance with solvency requirements, benefit mandates and other obligations imposed on insurers. Upon expiration of this bill, these health insurance models will be evaluated to test their effectiveness to determine if these types of programs would be beneficial to other segments of our population who lack health insurance.

“The passing of this legislation marks a pivotal point in helping to close the loophole many independent contractors, part-time workers, and temporary workers in New York face,” said State Senator Neil Breslin. “Since these workers comprise a growing portion of the workforce, it has become critically important to address this issue. The establishment of this demonstration program is the first step in helping to make health insurance more affordable.”

This legislation is currently awaiting the governor’s signature.