News from New York State Insurance Department

For more information contact: Insurance: David Neustadt, 212-480-5265; Health: Claudia Hutton, 518-474-7354 ext. 1

Public Hearing on "Partnership for Coverage" Set for October 3 in Buffalo

Western NY Residents Urged to Provide Input on Plan for Health Insurance Coverage

NEW YORK, NY (10/02/2007; 0957)(readMedia)-- A public hearing to obtain input from New Yorkers on ways to expand health insurance coverage and improve the health care system will be held October 3 in Buffalo.

The hearing will be conducted from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the auditorium of the Post Building at Erie County Community College, City Campus, 121 Ellicott St. New York State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D., will conduct the hearing.

The hearing will be the second in a series of public hearings focusing on Gov. Spitzer’s “Partnership for Coverage,” an initiative to seek public input to develop proposals for achieving health system reform and affordable universal coverage. The hearings are being held at locations. across the state by Dr. Daines and Insurance Superintendent Eric R. Dinallo.

“I urge interested citizens and organizations in Western New York to come to this hearing and contribute their ideas,” said Governor Spitzer. “Our ‘Partnership for Coverage’ is a public-private collaborative initiative that will use a building-block approach to increase access to affordable, high-quality health care for all New Yorkers. These efforts include covering more uninsured children in New York’s Child Health Plus program by expanding income eligibility to 400 percent of the federal poverty level – an initiative for which we are currently seeking federal government approval.”

“We know that 2.6 million New Yorkers don’t have health insurance, making it very difficult for them to get the health care they need,” said Commissioner Daines. “At these hearings we want to hear from the general public, from stakeholders in the health care system, and from patient advocates and other experts on the best ways to address this problem.”

Superintendent Dinallo said, “Many uninsured New Yorkers work but don’t receive health insurance through their employers and can’t afford to purchase private health insurance. We must make certain that health insurance and access to high-quality care are available at a reasonable cost to all New Yorkers.”

Additional public hearings will be held on October 10 statewide by phone; October 30 in New York City; November 13 in Syracuse; November 26 in Rochester; and December 5 on Long Island. All individuals planning to testify at a hearing must pre-register. To pre-register, please contact:

Ms. Cindy Esterby Office of Health Insurance Programs New York State Department of Health Corning Tower Bldg., Room 1483 Empire State Plaza Albany, New York 12237 (518) 474-5737

Ms. Deborah Greer New York State Insurance Department One Commerce Plaza Albany, NY 12257 (518) 474-4567

The hearing notice is at www.partnership4coverage.ny.gov/hearings/notice.htm. Information on how to register, topics to be covered, health insurance trends and health reform efforts in New York is available at: http://partnership4coverage.ny.gov