HealthPass Experiences Strong Growth in Health Insurance Plans for Small Employers

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - April 20, 2009) - HealthPass, the New York City-based non-profit agency dedicated to improving access to health coverage for small employers and sole proprietors, announced today that a record number of new employers signed up to participate in their health insurance programs during the first quarter of 2009.

HealthPass, created nearly 10 years ago by the New York Business Group on Health, the City of New York and the health-insurance industry, said the number of small employers who enrolled in their insurance programs nearly doubled during the first three months of 2009, compared to the first quarter of 2008. Additionally, the number of employees and families who signed up for HealthPass coverage nearly doubled during the same period. As of April 1, approximately 25,000 individuals from more than 3,000 employers receive health insurance through HealthPass.

"Despite the recession and health care costs that continue to rise, demand for our health insurance solution has been extremely strong," said Vince Ashton, executive director of HealthPass. "Our growth is coming from two sectors -- employers that previously did not have health insurance coverage for their workers as well as employers who decided to switch coverage from other health insurers to reduce costs."

HealthPass offers small businesses with two to 50 employees a menu of attractive health insurance options that enable eligible employees to individually choose a plan that best fits their medical needs and budgets. Employers generally provide their workers with a fixed amount of money that employees can use to purchase one of 33 health insurance policies offered by five carriers.

HealthPass also says that business in April remains strong and the outlook for the rest of the year is very positive. "With the economy expected to remain weak in the foreseeable future, small employers are looking for quality, cost-effective and flexible health insurance programs. Much of our recent success is a result of being able to offer employers insurance plans that meet their needs as well as having an outstanding support team to demonstrate the value that our plans bring to employers, especially during this economic downturn," said Ashton.

About HealthPass

An innovative partnership between the New York Business Group on Health, the City of New York, and the health insurance industry, HealthPass provides small businesses and sole proprietors with an array of Fortune 500-quality healthcare options.

HealthPass enables eligible employees of small businesses and sole proprietors to choose a healthcare plan that fits their medical needs and budgets. There are more than 30 different coverage options from five leading carriers -- EmblemHealth, GHI, Health Net, HIP (Health Plan of New York) and Oxford -- as well as two dental plans, and a bundled product offered through Guardian. With more than 200,000 providers, HealthPass affords greater network access than any single plan. For more information, please visit www.healthpass.com.

Contact Information: Contact: Ed Emerman Eagle Public Relations 609-275-5162 eemerman@eaglepr.com