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Thursday, July 25, 2013
Policy Update & Call to Action
Monday, July 22, 2013
Syracuse.com: N.Y. Health Benefit Exchange, Part of Obamacare, Will Dramatically Change How We Buy Health Insurance
N.Y. Health Benefit Exchange, part of Obamacare, will dramatically change how we buy health insurance
Carl Clark has been unemployed since he lost his job at the New Process Gear plant in DeWitt, which closed in August. He hopes to find coverage through the state's new Health Benefit Exchange. (Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com)
Syracuse, N.Y. - State officials are about to dramatically change the way individuals and small businesses get health insurance in New York by launching a new health benefit exchange that will start enrolling people Oct. 1.
The exchange, operated by the state Health Department, will be a marketplace where consumers can comparison-shop for health insurance, sort of like shopping online for a hotel room or airline ticket.
Consumers will be able to shop and enroll online, over the phone, in-person or by mail. Many people will be eligible for federal subsidies that will lower their premiums.
The exchange is part of the federal Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare," which requires nearly all Americans to have health insurance by Jan. 1 or face a financial penalty.
New York has about 2.7 million uninsured residents. It expects about 1.1 million people to get insurance through the exchange.
» Confused about Obamacare? Send us your questions
About three of every four New Yorkers who get coverage through their employers or the government will not use the exchange.
Nearly 65,700 Central New Yorkers are uninsured.
Carl Clark is one of them who hopes to find affordable coverage through the exchange.
The Syracuse man has been uninsured since losing his job at the former New Process Gear plant in DeWitt, which shut down in August. Clark, 51, is pastor of Open Arms International Ministries, a congregation planning to open a new church on Syracuse's North Side.
"I believe every American should be entitled to good health, not just a few," he said. "Check-ups at my age are important. It doesn't seem like there are many resources out there for uninsured men."
The state announced premium rates for health plans participating in the exchange last week. There are eight insurers participating in Central New York.
The state said on average rates are 53 percent lower than premiums New Yorkers now pay for individual coverage. The average monthly cost for an individual health insurance policy is now about $1,300.
Danielle Holihan, deputy director of the exchange, said premium rates will be further reduced by federal tax credits.
Individuals and families with incomes up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for federal tax credits that will offset the cost of health insurance premiums in the exchange. This income level is equivalent to $45,960 for an individual and $94,200 for a family of four.
A report issued earlier this year by Families USA, a national consumer group, estimated 57,000 Central New Yorkers will be eligible for the tax credits. Dollars from the tax credits will flow directly to the health plan in which an individual or family enrolls, offsetting the total cost of health insurance premiums for the plan. The credit will be available to pay the premium at the time the person enrolls in a plan.
Leslie Moran of the New York Health Plan Association, an industry trade group, said some individuals may have to pay more if they buy a policy with more generous benefits than the policy they have now. There is also no savings for individuals who are buying insurance for the first time.
"They are suddenly putting money out for something they've never spent money on before," she said.
A recent Gallup poll found nearly half of uninsured Americans are unaware they must get health insurance to comply with the federal law.
To get the word out, the New York exchange will kick off an advertising blitz in September. It has hired DDB, a Madison Avenue advertising agency, to help develop the campaign. The federal government is paying the $40.7 million cost over two years.
It's also enlisting nonprofit organizations to tell their constituents about the exchange. The exchange will activate a call center Sept. 1 to handle questions, Holihan said. It also will hire hundreds of navigators throughout the state to help enroll people.
"As we approach Oct. 1, people will start paying a lot more attention," she said.
New York is one of 17 states setting up exchanges. The federal government will operate exchanges in the remaining states which opted not to set up their own.
New York's effort to start an exchange was blocked for more than a year by the Republican-controlled state Senate. So Gov. Andrew Cuomo established the exchange by issuing an executive order in April 2012.
The delay left New York with little breathing room to meet the timetable for its exchange.
"It's a large task to accomplish in a short amount of time," Holihan said. But the exchange is meeting all its deadlines and will be open by Oct. 1, she said.
The Obama administration recently announced it is delaying by one year a provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires large employers to offer health insurance to employees. That sparked calls from Republican leaders in Washington, D.C., who oppose Obamacare, to also delay the mandate requiring individuals to have insurance by Jan. 1. The Obama administration said it has no intention to do that.
Holihan said that national decision will not affect the rollout of New York's exchange.
New York has received $370 million from the federal government to start the exchange. The exchange must become financially self-sustaining in 2015.
The New York exchange will offer standardized plans in four tiers that cover either 60 percent, 70 percent, 80 percent or 90 percent of a consumer's out-of-pocket health costs.The higher the percentage, the higher the premium.
By offering standardized plans, the exchange will make it easy to compare policies, Holihan said. Insurers also will have the option of offering up to three non-standardized plans in each tier.
The exchange also will offer a low-cost, high-deductible catastrophic plan for people under age 30.
People also will be able to enroll in Medicaid, the public health insurance program for low-income people and the disabled, through the exchange. The state is expanding Medicaid eligibility for single, adults with no children. The eligibility income limit for them now is $11,490. That will increase to $15,282.
"We are building a fully integrated enrollment system," Holihan said. "Anyone can come to us. It's a 'no wrong door' approach."
New York's enrollment period will run Oct. 1 through March 31. Uninsured people who don't get coverage by Jan. 1 will have a three-month grace period to buy insurance before they are subjected to a penalty.
The penalty in 2014 will be $95 per adults, $47.50 per child (up to $285 per family) or 1 percent of family income, whichever is greater. The penalty will increase in subsequent years.
One of the biggest challenges for the exchange will be getting young healthy adults to enroll, according to Moran of the New York Health Plan Association.
Young healthy adults use relatively little health care and help offset the cost of insuring older adults, the biggest users of health services. Insurance costs could soar if there is a disproportionate share of older people in the insurance pool.
"If you are 27 years old and in the third year on the job and you are working to pay rent and a car payment and suddenly you are told you have to buy health insurance, do you spend $75 on that or $75 on your cell phone?" Moran said.
A young adult in that situation might opt to pay the $95 annual penalty, she said.
Holihan said the health benefit exchange will use social media to target this population, which she called "the young invincibles."
Making health insurance more affordable will help persuade many young adults to buy it, she said.
"It's not that people don't want coverage, they can't afford it," Holihan said.
Contact health writer James T. Mulder at jmulder@syracuse.com or (315) 470-2245.
The exchange, operated by the state Health Department, will be a marketplace where consumers can comparison-shop for health insurance, sort of like shopping online for a hotel room or airline ticket.
Consumers will be able to shop and enroll online, over the phone, in-person or by mail. Many people will be eligible for federal subsidies that will lower their premiums.
The exchange is part of the federal Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare," which requires nearly all Americans to have health insurance by Jan. 1 or face a financial penalty.
New York has about 2.7 million uninsured residents. It expects about 1.1 million people to get insurance through the exchange.
» Confused about Obamacare? Send us your questions
About three of every four New Yorkers who get coverage through their employers or the government will not use the exchange.
Nearly 65,700 Central New Yorkers are uninsured.
Carl Clark is one of them who hopes to find affordable coverage through the exchange.
The Syracuse man has been uninsured since losing his job at the former New Process Gear plant in DeWitt, which shut down in August. Clark, 51, is pastor of Open Arms International Ministries, a congregation planning to open a new church on Syracuse's North Side.
"I believe every American should be entitled to good health, not just a few," he said. "Check-ups at my age are important. It doesn't seem like there are many resources out there for uninsured men."
The state announced premium rates for health plans participating in the exchange last week. There are eight insurers participating in Central New York.
The state said on average rates are 53 percent lower than premiums New Yorkers now pay for individual coverage. The average monthly cost for an individual health insurance policy is now about $1,300.
Danielle Holihan, deputy director of the exchange, said premium rates will be further reduced by federal tax credits.
Individuals and families with incomes up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for federal tax credits that will offset the cost of health insurance premiums in the exchange. This income level is equivalent to $45,960 for an individual and $94,200 for a family of four.
A report issued earlier this year by Families USA, a national consumer group, estimated 57,000 Central New Yorkers will be eligible for the tax credits. Dollars from the tax credits will flow directly to the health plan in which an individual or family enrolls, offsetting the total cost of health insurance premiums for the plan. The credit will be available to pay the premium at the time the person enrolls in a plan.
Leslie Moran of the New York Health Plan Association, an industry trade group, said some individuals may have to pay more if they buy a policy with more generous benefits than the policy they have now. There is also no savings for individuals who are buying insurance for the first time.
"They are suddenly putting money out for something they've never spent money on before," she said.
A recent Gallup poll found nearly half of uninsured Americans are unaware they must get health insurance to comply with the federal law.
To get the word out, the New York exchange will kick off an advertising blitz in September. It has hired DDB, a Madison Avenue advertising agency, to help develop the campaign. The federal government is paying the $40.7 million cost over two years.
It's also enlisting nonprofit organizations to tell their constituents about the exchange. The exchange will activate a call center Sept. 1 to handle questions, Holihan said. It also will hire hundreds of navigators throughout the state to help enroll people.
"As we approach Oct. 1, people will start paying a lot more attention," she said.
New York is one of 17 states setting up exchanges. The federal government will operate exchanges in the remaining states which opted not to set up their own.
New York's effort to start an exchange was blocked for more than a year by the Republican-controlled state Senate. So Gov. Andrew Cuomo established the exchange by issuing an executive order in April 2012.
The delay left New York with little breathing room to meet the timetable for its exchange.
"It's a large task to accomplish in a short amount of time," Holihan said. But the exchange is meeting all its deadlines and will be open by Oct. 1, she said.
The Obama administration recently announced it is delaying by one year a provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires large employers to offer health insurance to employees. That sparked calls from Republican leaders in Washington, D.C., who oppose Obamacare, to also delay the mandate requiring individuals to have insurance by Jan. 1. The Obama administration said it has no intention to do that.
Holihan said that national decision will not affect the rollout of New York's exchange.
New York has received $370 million from the federal government to start the exchange. The exchange must become financially self-sustaining in 2015.
The New York exchange will offer standardized plans in four tiers that cover either 60 percent, 70 percent, 80 percent or 90 percent of a consumer's out-of-pocket health costs.The higher the percentage, the higher the premium.
By offering standardized plans, the exchange will make it easy to compare policies, Holihan said. Insurers also will have the option of offering up to three non-standardized plans in each tier.
The exchange also will offer a low-cost, high-deductible catastrophic plan for people under age 30.
People also will be able to enroll in Medicaid, the public health insurance program for low-income people and the disabled, through the exchange. The state is expanding Medicaid eligibility for single, adults with no children. The eligibility income limit for them now is $11,490. That will increase to $15,282.
"We are building a fully integrated enrollment system," Holihan said. "Anyone can come to us. It's a 'no wrong door' approach."
New York's enrollment period will run Oct. 1 through March 31. Uninsured people who don't get coverage by Jan. 1 will have a three-month grace period to buy insurance before they are subjected to a penalty.
The penalty in 2014 will be $95 per adults, $47.50 per child (up to $285 per family) or 1 percent of family income, whichever is greater. The penalty will increase in subsequent years.
One of the biggest challenges for the exchange will be getting young healthy adults to enroll, according to Moran of the New York Health Plan Association.
Young healthy adults use relatively little health care and help offset the cost of insuring older adults, the biggest users of health services. Insurance costs could soar if there is a disproportionate share of older people in the insurance pool.
"If you are 27 years old and in the third year on the job and you are working to pay rent and a car payment and suddenly you are told you have to buy health insurance, do you spend $75 on that or $75 on your cell phone?" Moran said.
A young adult in that situation might opt to pay the $95 annual penalty, she said.
Holihan said the health benefit exchange will use social media to target this population, which she called "the young invincibles."
Making health insurance more affordable will help persuade many young adults to buy it, she said.
"It's not that people don't want coverage, they can't afford it," Holihan said.
Contact health writer James T. Mulder at jmulder@syracuse.com or (315) 470-2245.
Community Foundation Awards Grant to Oswego Museum
July 22,
2013 (Oswego, NY) - The Central New York Community Foundation and the Richard
S. Shineman Foundation partnered to award a $20,000 Strategic Partnership Grant
to the H. Lee White Marine Museum. The Marine Museum will utilize the grant to
assist with strategic planning, legal, accounting and promotional costs
associated with the organization’s formal merger with the Oswego Maritime
Foundation and the Oswego Maritime Alliance.
“This
grant will not only help the Museum continue through a formal merge process,
but it will also help us develop our organization’s newly expanded mission to
develop, enhance, interpret and highlight educational activities and programs
focused on Oswego’s waterfront,” said Mercedes Niess, Executive Director of the
H. Lee White Marine Museum. “The most exciting part about this merger is its
opportunity to improve programming in size, quality and scope.”
The newly
merged organization plans to develop and expand its existing programs, which
include junior sailing, floating classrooms, lecture series, and boat and model
building. In addition, it plans to develop new programs that highlight the
history, preservation and recreational use of the region’s waterfront for the
benefit of the Greater Oswego community.
For
example, the three organizations' combined volunteers, staff and members will
develop a full set of programs focused on a new schooner - the Ontario -
which joins the Museum this summer. In addition, the Museum plans to partner
with other community organizations to bring a number of tall ships to the
harbor next year when Oswego celebrates its participation in the War of 1812.
It anticipates that the newly combined resources of the three organizations
will enhance the efficiency, planning and development of these celebration
activities.
“This
merger will create a more effective structure for managing Oswego’s rich
maritime history and delivering a broad spectrum of waterfront programs and
services to the community,” said John Eberle, Vice President of Grantmaking and
Community Initiatives at the Community Foundation. “Through this Strategic
Partnership Grant, we hope to enable long-range plans and strategies for an
all-encompassing maritime center in this region that has future expansion
potential, both physically and organizationally.”
About
the Strategic Partnership Fund
The
Strategic Partnership Fund, formed by the Community Foundation, supports
projects that reduce nonprofit operational expenses while working to enhance
program delivery in the community. Funded projects involve administrative
consolidation or affiliations, joint programming, regionalizations, forming a
subsidiary or a full-scale merger among two or more nonprofits. Since the
fund’s inception in 2009, more than $285,000 has been granted to help
organizations streamline their operations. As of January, 2013, a total of $4.8
million was reported to have been activated or saved as a result of those
awarded partnerships. Additional information about the Fund, including how to
apply for a grant, can be found at www.cnycf.org/partner.
About
the Central New York Community Foundation
Established
in 1927, the Central New York Community Foundation encourages local
philanthropy by supporting the growth of a permanent charitable endowment for
the betterment of the region. The Community Foundation is the largest
charitable foundation in the region with assets of more than $143 million. It
awarded $8.3 million in grants last year to nonprofit organizations and since
its inception has invested more than $120 million in the community. The
Community Foundation serves as the steward of charitable legacies for
individuals, families and businesses through the administration of more than
600 funds. The organization also serves as a civic leader, convener and sponsor
of special initiatives designed to strengthen nonprofits that address the
region’s most pressing challenges. The Community Foundation, of 431 East
Fayette Street, Syracuse, NY 13202, can be reached at (315) 422-9538 or www.cnycf.org.
About
the Richard S. Shineman Foundation
The
Richard S. Shineman Foundation is a private foundation established in 2012 by
the bequest of Richard S. Shineman, a tenured professor of chemistry at SUNY
Oswego. Its vision is to become a “Catalyst for Change” across Central
New York and, in particular, Oswego County. The Foundation uses its
financial resources to work towards this vision by building the capacity of
not-for-profit organizations to enhance the quality of life in their
communities. Contact lauren@shinemanfoundation.org or visit www.shinemanfoundation.org
for more information.
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Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Honor an Outstanding Board Member
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Skaneateles Journal: Nonprofits may apply for grants by Aug. 9
Nonprofits may apply for grants by Aug. 9
Part of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s mission to improve the health and health care of the residents of the communities it serves, the company makes Community Health Awards adding up to a total of $25,000 available to help fund health and wellness programs in Central New York.
Nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organizations in Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s eight-county CNY region are invited to apply for an award of up to $4,000 each, which can be used for a program that has clear goals to improve the health or health care of a specific population in the community.
“The company’s Community Health Awards demonstrate a corporate commitment to support local organizations that share our mission as a nonprofit health plan,” said Arthur Vercillo, M.D., regional president, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “These awards complement our existing grants and sponsorships with agencies that work to enhance quality of life, including health status, in Central New York.”
In granting the awards, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield considers organizations which offer programs that focus on:
Activities that improve the health status of the community or that reduce the incidence of specific diseases.
Communitywide health education.
Group-specific health education.
Wellness.
To be eligible, the organization must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and located in Cayuga, Cortland, Jefferson, Lewis, Onondaga, Oswego, St. Lawrence or Tompkins County.
Awards will be made based on:
Scope of need.
Goals of program.
Overall number of persons to benefit from the program.
Positive impact on the community’s health status.
“In the 75 years that Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has been serving residents of upstate New York, the company has supported hundreds of programs that are aimed at improving the health status of area residents,” said Vercillo. “We’re pleased to continue that effort by offering Community Health Awards to nonprofits in Central New York.”
The deadline for organizations to submit an application to be considered for an Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Community Health Award is August 9, 2013. Applications and additional information are available online at Community Health Awards or by emailing Community.Health.Awards.CNY@excellus.com. Applications received after the August 9 deadline will not be considered. Awards will distributed in October.
Via the Skaneateles Journal (link)
Community Grant Opportunity
Please note the following community grant opportunity, and please forgive cross postings!
Nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organizations in Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s eight county CNY region are invited to apply for an award of up to $4,000 each, which can be used for a program that has clear goals to improve the health or health care of a specific population in the community. In granting the awards, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield considers organizations which offer programs that focus on:
· Activities that improve the health status of the community or that reduce the incidence of specific diseases.
· Community wide health education.
· Group-specific health education.
· Wellness.
· Community wide health education.
· Group-specific health education.
· Wellness.
To be eligible, the organization must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and located in Cayuga, Cortland, Jefferson, Lewis, Onondaga, Oswego, St. Lawrence or Tompkins County.
Awards will be made based on:
· Scope of need.
· Goals of program.
· Overall number of persons to benefit from the program.
· Positive impact on the community’s health status.
· Goals of program.
· Overall number of persons to benefit from the program.
· Positive impact on the community’s health status.
The deadline for organizations to submit an application to be considered for a Community Health Award is August 9, 2013. Applications and additional information are available online at www.ExcellusBCBS.com by clicking on 'News and Information' (at the bottom of the page), then on 'News Releases,' then click on the 'Central New York' tab. The Community Health Award application is a link from the first news release. Or, to request a copy, email Community.Health.Awards.CNY@
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Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, a nonprofit independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association
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