Sole Proprietors/Individuals – Health insurance renewal notices

Sole Proprietors/Individuals – Health insurance renewal notices should be arriving by the end of October if your coverage is ending on Dec. 31st. For a Jan. 1, 2015 coverage start date, enroll by Dec. 15,, 2014. Check out the renewal video located at http://info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/RenewalVideo. If you are Medicaid eligible or have a qualifying life event (e.g. loss of health coverage), you can still enroll for health insurance in 2014. Small businesses (2-50 employees) can enroll in the Small Business Marketplace for healthcare insurance at any time. Enroll all employees by October 31st for a December 1, 2014 coverage start date. Tax credits of up to 50% are available for firms meeting the qualifying criteria. Contact Marcia Okon at 212-473-7805 or marcia@manhattancc.org if you have any questions.​

REAL Certification Comes to New York

For the first time in history, diet-related diseases kill more people than communicable diseases and in the United States, today’s children may have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. Obesity now exceeds smoking as one of the biggest drivers of our healthcare costs, accounting for over $190 billion annually, and is directly related to preventable chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer. In addition to direct healthcare costs, annual costs associated with employee absenteeism and lost productivity due to obesity and related chronic conditions have risen to over $153 billion. Unless we change the course of our current path, the incidence of diet-related diseases will continue to increase, adding to our national debt, health insurance premiums and business expenses.


Today, the United States Healthful Food Council (USHFC), is launching Eat REAL New York to help reverse these trends. Established in 2011, the USHFC is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization dedicated to fighting diet-related disease by realigning the foodservice industry’s incentives with consumers’ health interests. Americans are consuming more meals prepared away from home than ever before and market trends in the foodservice industry have created a competitive environment based on serving what is profitable, not what is healthful. The USHFC works towards its mission through the Responsible Epicurean and Agricultural Leadership (REAL) Certification, a market-based incentive that recognizes food and foodservice establishments for utilizing nutrition and sustainability best practices.

Utilizing the points-based REAL Index, independent registered dietitians conduct a comprehensive establishment review that includes menu analysis, invoice and supply chain verification, and interviews. Establishments are credited with points across a range of best practices such as the use of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy preparation methods, moderate portion sizes, unsweetened beverages, healthy children’s options and sustainable sourcing. Those that satisfy the necessary requirements are awarded REAL Certification.

Since launching REAL Certification in Washington, D.C. last year with 19 restaurants, the program has certified nearly 100 foodservice locations across the country. These include the café at Google San Francisco, Music City Center in Nashville, Restaurant Nora in D.C., the popular chain Mixt Greens and many others. You can find restaurant profiles along with chef interviews for all REAL Certified establishments at www.eatreal.org.

This morning, the USHFC launched Eat REAL New York at the historic James Beard House preceding tonight's James Beard Foundation Awards. The inaugural class of New York restaurants includes: ‘wichcraft, ICI, Locanda Vini e Olii, Bareburger, Rose Water Restaurant, Rusty Mackerel, Insurgo Project, and the Friday Night Dinner at Natural Gourmet Institute.

These restaurants are not the USHFC’s only connection to New York. At last month’s inaugural REAL Food Innovator Awards, which celebrate leaders in nutrition and sustainability, the USHFC recognized former Mayor Michael Bloomberg as a REAL Food Innovator amongst government officials and NYU’s Dr. Marion Nestle as the REAL Food Innovator of the Year.

In her keynote address, Dr. Nestle applauded the USHFC’s ability to help the foodservice industry align the food they make and serve with the health and nutritional needs of the public. Among other successes, USHFC has helped a DC food truck substantially increase sales of its healthier offerings and is working with the State of Tennessee to lower the rates of diabetes and obesity.

The USHFC looks forward to similar successes in New York and contributing to the health of the city and its businesses.

To learn more, please visit www.ushfc.org or www.eatREAL.org.

NY State of Health Newsletter Articles for Consumers, Stakeholders and Small Business Owners

Title: NY State of Health: What Does it Mean for You?

NY State of Health, The Official Health Plan Marketplace is where New Yorkers will shop for, compare and enroll in health insurance coverage. You will have a choice of health plans and help finding the plan that is right for you. It’s the only place to get financial assistance to reduce the cost of coverage.

Health insurance offered in the Marketplace will include a comprehensive set of benefits.

You can choose a health insurance plan through the Marketplace starting on October 1, 2013 for coverage that begins on January 1, 2014.

To learn more and to sign up for updates, visit nystateofhealth.ny.gov or emailexchange@health.state.ny.us.

Article 2
Audience: Consumers
Length: Medium

Title: NY State of Health: What Does it Mean for You?

NY State of Health, The Official Health Plan Marketplace is where New Yorkers will shop for, compare and enroll in health insurance coverage. You will have a choice of health plans and help finding the plan that is right for you. It’s the only place to get financial assistance to reduce the cost of coverage.

The Marketplace will be open to individuals and families, and small businesses with 50 or fewer eligible employees.

Health insurance offered in the Marketplace will include a comprehensive set of benefits, called the Essential Health Benefits.

We are here to help.

Experts will be available to guide you through the enrollment process, help you find the right health insurance based on your unique needs and work with you to figure out if you can get financial assistance to reduce the cost of coverage.

Support will be available online, in person in your community and by phone – you pick what works best for you. Assistance will be available in multiple languages.

You can choose a health insurance plan through the Marketplace starting on October 1, 2013 for coverage that begins on January 1, 2014.

To learn more and to sign up for updates, visit nystateofhealth.ny.gov or emailexchange@health.state.ny.us.

Article 3
Audience: Stakeholders and Partner Organizations

Title: NY State of Health: What Does it Mean for the People You Serve?

NY State of Health, The Official Health Plan Marketplace is where New Yorkers will shop for, compare and enroll in health insurance coverage. You will have a choice of health plans and help finding the plan that best meets your needs. It’s the only place to get financial assistance to reduce the cost of coverage.

As a member of (insert organization name), you can raise awareness by learning about the Marketplace and sharing the ways it can help the people you serve. Ways you can help include:

- Distribute fact sheets at events or via email
- Include an article in your consumer newsletter
- Incorporate information into your presentations and meetings
- Refer the people you serve to the Marketplace and in-person assistors beginning on October 1, 2013

Health insurance offered in the Marketplace will include a comprehensive set of benefits, called the Essential Health Benefits.

Open enrollment begins on October 1, 2013 for effective dates beginning January 1, 2014. The open enrollment period for individuals ends on March 31, 2014. Small businesses can choose an effective date as early as January 1, 2014 or they can choose an effective date the first of any month thereafter that best meets their needs.

The Marketplace will be open to individuals and families, and small businesses with 50 or fewer
eligible employees.

Experts will be available to guide consumers and small business owners through the enrollment process, help them find the right insurance based on their specific needs and work with them to determine eligibility for financial assistance to reduce the cost of coverage. Enrollment support will be available online, in person in the community and by phone. Assistance will be available in multiple languages.

More information, including consumer-friendly fact sheets that you can print and share, is available on the Marketplace website at nystateofhealth.ny.gov.

Sign up for updates on the website or email questions to exchange@health.state.ny.us.

Article 4
Audience: Small Business Owners

Title: NY State of Health: What Does it Mean for Small Business Owners?

NY State of Health, The Official Health Plan Marketplace is where small businesses will shop for, compare and enroll in health insurance coverage through the Small Business Marketplace. Small businesses with 50 or fewer eligible employees will be able to participate in the Marketplace.

Choices for You and Your Employees.

Providing you and your workforce with affordable, robust choices for health insurance coverage that is easy to administer is the Small Business Marketplace’s mission. The Marketplace will provide a selection of health plans at a range of price points.

As an employer, you will be able to determine the level of choice for your employees. You can decide to offer one plan; multiple plans by health insurance carrier or coverage level; or allow employees to select from all Small Business Marketplace health plans available in the county in which they live or work. If you choose to contribute to your employees’ coverage, you will set your contribution level. There is no minimum contribution and no minimum participation requirement.

You can choose an effective date as early as January 1, 2014 or you can choose an effective date the first of any month thereafter to best meet your needs. Enrollment begins on October 1, 2013.

Get Answers to Your Questions

Brokers, agents, navigators and other in-person assistors who are trained and certified by the Marketplace will be there to guide you and your employees through the enrollment process. Customer support will be available in person, online and via phone. Assistance will be available in multiple languages.

Administrative Simplicity

Since choice is a hallmark of the Small Business Marketplace, your employees may select a variety of health plans. To make it easier for you, the Marketplace will compile premiums for your employees and send you one monthly bill. You will pay the total amount due to the Marketplace and we will handle payments to the health plans. One account to set up, online enrollment for you and your employees, and just one bill to pay. It’s that easy.

Tax Benefits for Your Business.

If you offer your employees health coverage through the Small Business Marketplace, you may be able to use the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. As of 2014, NY State of Health is the only place you will be able to access this tax credit. You may qualify for a tax credit of up to 50% (up to 35% for non-profits) of eligible premium expenses to offset the cost of insurance for you and your employees.

Ways to Get Ready:

There are things you can do now to make sure your business is ready to take advantage of all the Small Business Marketplace will have to offer:

1. Think about how your current plan works for you and your employees.
2. If you don’t offer health coverage to your workforce, consider what benefits you’d like to provide. Also consider the amount you may be willing to contribute toward a health plan.
3. Talk with an insurance broker about how they can help you make the best choices for you and your employees.
4. Ask your tax advisor if your business may qualify for the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit.

To learn more and to sign up for updates, visit nystateofhealth.ny.gov or emailexchange@health.state.ny.us.