Healthfirst and HealthPass New York Offer More Comprehensive Health Insurance Options for Small Businesses

New EPO Business Plans Provide Consumer-focused Service and Optimal Member Experience


NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HealthPass New York, a private health insurance exchange for small businesses, announces that it will offer Healthfirst insurance plans to small business employers in the metropolitan New York City area. Healthfirst, a provider-sponsored health plan serving more than 1.2 million members in New York City and on Long Island, offers small employer group EPO plans to fit the needs of hardworking New Yorkers.

“For more than 24 years, Healthfirst has prided itself on offering affordable, high-quality health coverage to the communities we serve. Offering our new small-business commercial EPO products on the HealthPass private exchange continues that tradition,” said Paul Portsmore, Healthfirst Senior Vice President of Growth. “Small businesses are the backbone of New York City and Long Island, and they deserve a health plan that will work just as hard as them to help them stay healthy. We are delighted to expand Healthfirst product offerings into this market.”

"We are very pleased to be partnering with Healthfirst as they provide another quality insurance option in the NY marketplace and on our private exchange," said Vince Ashton, President & CEO of HealthPass. "Their plans and network greatly strengthen our ability to meet the wide variety of needs of our members.” 

Under the agreement between HealthPass and Healthfirst, HealthPass will offer Healthfirst Pro EPO plans to eligible employers that employ between one to 100 employees. These plans are available to small businesses with employees who live, work, or reside in New York City and Nassau County. Eligible employers and their employees can begin enrolling in the Healthfirst plans now for coverage that would take effect as early as December 1, 2017.

The Healthfirst options include four Pro EPO plans with comprehensive benefits and pediatric dental and vision coverage that span all the metal tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum). With Healthfirst plans, employees will have access to key features, including preventive and wellness visits (including annual checkups, vaccinations, and mammograms); a multilingual member services team; access to telemedicine via Teladoc; a robust choice of in-network doctors, specialists, hospitals, and urgent care centers; behavioral health and substance abuse services; coverage for acupuncture visits; and a user-friendly member portal that enables members to proactively manage their care.

About Healthfirst
Healthfirst is a provider-sponsored health insurance company that serves more than 1.2 million members in downstate New York. Healthfirst offers top-quality Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, Child Health Plus, and Managed Long Term Care plans. Healthfirst Leaf Qualified Health Plans and the Healthfirst Essential Plan are offered on NY State of Health, The Official Health Plan Marketplace. Healthfirst offers Healthfirst Pro and Pro Plus, Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) plans for small-business owners and their employees, and Healthfirst Total, an EPO for individuals.

For more information on Healthfirst, visit www.healthfirst.org

About HealthPass New York
HealthPass is a private insurance exchange offering members and businesses in the New York Metropolitan area flexible, cost-effective solutions for their healthcare needs. Since 1999, the HealthPass New York choice model has empowered employees to individually select their plans based upon their unique needs and budgets. A well-rounded menu of options is offered through industry leading carriers, with choices including health, dental, vision, life, and disability coverage. Brokers, employers, employees, and individuals benefit from the state-of-the-art technology and extensive support provided by the HealthPass team including a streamlined administrative process, member-claims advocacy, COBRA Administration and the most knowledgeable client services team in the industry.

For more information, please visit www.healthpassny.com.

For media inquiries:
Channell Mellish
Healthfirst
212-803-1856
cmellish@healthfirst.org

Ed Emerman
609-275-5162
eemerman@eaglepr.com