BALCONY Presents Seven Principles for Affordable Health Care at State Hearing in Glens Falls

NEW YORK, NY (09/05/2007)(readMedia)-- Alan Lubin ,Co-Chair of BALCONY, The Business and Labor Coalition of New York, (www.balconynewyork.com ), today proposed “Seven Principles for Affordable Health Care” that the State of New York should follow as it moves toward a a health care plan that provides coverage for all New Yorkers.

In testimony at the NYS Department of Health’s “Partnership for Coverage” hearing in Glens Falls, New York, Lubin stated, “BALCONY recognizes that affordable and universal health care requires legislation at the federal level, but also realizes that a nationwide solution will only come about more rapidly if pressure bubbles up from the individual states.”

“BALCONY is sensitive to the costs of our current health care system and the potential costs of addressing the problems with that system. However, we believe that through the more efficient use of our health care capability, more efficient administration, and improvements in the quality of health care, we can achieve significant cost savings that will lead to an enactment of these important principles and coverage for all New Yorkers,” Lubin added.

The “Seven BALCONY Principles for Affordable Health in New York” include universality, affordability, administrative simplicity and transparency, adequacy, efficiency, quality and elimination of disparities.

A complete text of the testimony and explanation of the principles can be found on the BALCONY website: www.balconynewyork.com .

BALCONY www.balconynewyork.com represents more than 500 New York businesses, labor unions, and trade associations. BALCONY seeks common ground in the public policy debate in New York to spur economic development through the adoption of business/ union friendly, socially responsible common sense laws that maintain and improve the quality of life for working New Yorkers.