The advent of federal health care reform has changed the game for small businesses.
Senator Toby Ann Stavisky – along with members of the Community Service Society, the American Cancer Society and a local small business owner – spoke about the new expansion of Family Health Plus, which makes it much easier for employers to provide affordable health coverage to low-wage employees, on Friday, August 27.
Under new legislation recently passed in Albany, small businesses and their workers will use federal subsidies and new financing innovations to provide comprehensive health coverage available at a cost of about $157 per month for employers and about $150 a paycheck for workers.
“We have to do all we can to promote small businesses, they are the back bone of the economy,” said Stavisky, who spoke outside of Elmhurst Hospital for a crowd of about 30 people. “This program is not only pro-small business, but it’s pro-family.”
According to Stavisky, there was no fiscal impact on the budget regarding taxes, an added bonus that “makes every legislator happy.”
Fixing the original Family Health Plus Employer Buy-in adopted in 2007 started with lowering the premiums deemed too expensive for business owners by as much as 55 percent, from $541 to $242 per employee per month; a figure much more affordable to Freddy Castiblanco, owner of Terraza 7 Train Café in Elmhurst.
“As my business has grown, I wanted to purchase a group health plan but the cost of decent coverage is completely unaffordable. I have lost some of my most talented employees to other employers because I could not provide health insurance,” said Castiblanco. “Thanks to the new changes, the cost is much more affordable.”
Michelle Bonan, regional advocacy director of the American Cancer Society, took the time to mention that those with health coverage are more likely to get screened for cancer and increase the likelihood of surviving illnesses.
“We are very grateful to Senator Stavisky and the rest of the legislature for making this possible,” said Bonan.
To view a comprehensive look at the “Three Steps to Affordable Health Coverage for New York’s Employers” and to learn how to take advantage of the new expansion of Family Health Plus, visit cssny.org.
