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GOVERNOR SPITZER AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PATERSON DIRECT HEALTH & INSURANCE DEPARTMENTS TO DEVELOP A "PARTNERSHIP FOR COVERAGE," NEW YORK'S PLAN FOR UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE

Governor Eliot Spitzer and Lieutenant Governor David Paterson today announced that they have directed the Health Commissioner and the Insurance Superintendent to develop a comprehensive strategy for universal health insurance for New York State.

“Our ‘partnership for universal health coverage’ will be based on a building-block approach that ensures access to affordable, high quality medical care for every single New Yorker, reduces the overwhelming and unsustainable cost of healthcare incurred by the public and the state, and avoids the significant implementation problems that have plagued other state efforts in this area,” said Governor Spitzer. “This incremental effort will draw from the experiences of other states, but will ultimately result in a plan that is uniquely suited to New York’s uninsured population and healthcare challenges.”

The 2007/2008 Budget contains key building blocks of Governor Spitzer’s effort to achieve universal coverage. Building blocks in this year's budget included: making good on the Governor’s promise to make health coverage available to all 400,000 of New York's uninsured children; raising the eligibility threshold for Child Health Plus to 400% of the federal poverty level; streamlining Medicaid enrollment to ensure that those already eligible for health coverage receive and maintain coverage; restructuring Medicaid spending to follow the patient rather than simply subsidizing healthcare institutions; controlling the growth rate of Medicaid spending from an annual average of 8% since 2001 to approximately 1% this year to promote the efficient delivery of healthcare services.

The Health Commissioner and Insurance Superintendent will study the obstacles to health coverage in the current system. They will then develop, evaluate and recommend proposals for achieving universal health insurance, including any interim steps necessary to ensure coverage.

In making their recommendation, the Health Commissioner and Insurance Superintendent will consider the extent to which proposals: (1) rapidly provide universal health coverage to the citizens of New York; (2) control the cost of health insurance and health care; (3) fairly and equitably distribute the cost of health insurance and health care; (4) improve the state’s economy and the competitiveness of the state’s businesses; (5) promote the economic viability of health care providers.

The Health Commissioner and Insurance Superintendent will also consider how the increased use of preventive medicine can both improve the quality of people’s lives and reduce health care costs.

In addition, the Health Commissioner and Insurance Superintendent will solicit proposals and hold public hearings throughout the state to receive input from the general public, stakeholders in the health care system, academic and other experts, as well as legislative representatives.

The Commissioner, Superintendent and their staffs will be aided in conducting the public hearings by a panel of experts who will help promote productive discussion, but who will not be part of determining the final proposal. The experts include: James Tallon, President, United Hospital Fund; Mark Scherzer, Legislative Counsel, New Yorkers for Accessible Health Coverage; Stan Lundine, former Lieutenant Governor and Elizabeth Moore, Partner, Nixon Peabody and former Counsel to Governor Mario Cuomo. They will be joined at each hearing by someone from that local community who can help focus questions on the specific issues and conditions in that community.

Based on all input and deliberations, the Commissioner and Superintendent will develop a final proposal for universal coverage and any interim steps toward that goal by May 31, 2008.