HealthPass Celebrates 10th Anniversary

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - September 17, 2009) - HealthPass, the New York City-based non-profit agency dedicated to improving access to health coverage for small employers and sole proprietors, celebrates its tenth year in operation this week. HealthPass is one of the nation's few insurance exchanges and since its launch in 1999 has steadily grown to become a leading provider of health insurance to small employers in the metropolitan New York area.

"We are extremely delighted with the tremendous success that HealthPass has enjoyed over the past ten years," said Vince Ashton, who has served as the executive director of HealthPass since 2004. "Our growth and achievements are testament to not only our dedicated employees, but also our business partners and clients who have supported us along the way."

HealthPass is an innovate partnership that was created in 1999 by the New York Business Group on Health, the City of New York and the health insurance industry. Its original purpose was to offer small businesses quality, affordable health insurance options. This is accomplished through an insurance exchange that allows eligible employees to choose a plan that fits their medical needs and budgets from a wide range of choices of plans and carriers. Today, HealthPass serves more than 3,500 small businesses and non-profit organizations and 30,000 individuals in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess and Putnam counties.

Reflecting back on HealthPass' first 10 years, Ashton said, "I've really enjoyed first hand watching our team grow in both size and experience, and how the organization has been able to adapt over the years to meet the changing needs of our members. I am most proud of how we have remained committed to meeting our non-profit missions to cover the working uninsured and give small businesses greater access to health care than previously available while simultaneously running a successful small business."

Commenting on HealthPass' 10th anniversary, Laurel Pickering, the executive director of the New York Business Group on Health, the parent organization of HealthPass, said, "From the beginning, HealthPass has remained committed to helping the working uninsured and small business community with innovative ways to provide workers with much needed health care. We are very proud of their achievements and congratulate them on serving New York area businesses for the past 10 years."

Ashton said he is also proud of HealthPass enrolling record numbers of employers this year, despite the difficult economy, and its ability to establish and maintain long-term relationships with its stakeholders. "We've worked well with many of the same carriers and brokers over the years and together we have helped the smallest of businesses find ways to afford coverage when they were unable to previously. Additionally, we have been fortunate to attract an exceptionally talented staff committed to serving the needs of our clients," said Ashton.

"This is an exciting time for all of us at HealthPass as we celebrate our tenth anniversary. We remain committed to our mission of providing affordable, quality health care to small businesses and we look forward to delivering the best products and services for their employees and families," concluded 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 through an insurance exchange.

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