Contact Information: Contact: Ed Emerman Eagle Public Relations 609-275-5162 eemerman@eaglepr.com
HealthPass Experiences Strong Growth in Health Insurance Plans for Small Employers
Number of New Employers Covered By HealthPass Doubled During First Quarter of 2009
| Source: HealthPass
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.