News from New York State Insurance Department

For more information contact: David Neustadt, 212-480-5265

New Interactive Online Program Will Help New Yorkers See if They are Eligible for Healthy NY Insurance

NEW YORK, NY (11/27/2007; 0920)(readMedia)-- The Healthy NY website has a new software program to help New Yorkers determine if they are eligible for this health insurance program for working people. The website is www.HealthyNY.com.

“Now there is a way for New Yorkers to find out quickly and easily if they may be eligible for Healthy NY, the state-sponsored health insurance program for working New Yorkers without health insurance. There is a new interactive screening tool—in plain language, an active question and answer format—that working individuals, small business people and sole proprietors can use to get a quick idea if the program is for them,” said Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo.

There are three separate eligibility Q&As or screeners: one for individuals, one for sole proprietors, and one for small employers. Each screener is comprised of a short series of questions to enable a user to determine whether he or she may be eligible for the Healthy NY program. While the Healthy NY website provides a full description of the program’s eligibility rules, this new screening tool allows a user to understand how the eligibility rules apply to his or her specific situation.

All three screeners are available now on the Healthy NY web site at www.HealthyNY.com.

While final eligibility determinations are decided by the health plan that a person applies to, the eligibility screeners provide a good indication of potential eligibility for Healthy NY prior to submitting an application. If the choices selected by a user indicate that the person would not qualify for Healthy NY, the screener provides the user with helpful links to further explore other health insurance options.

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