Alert: Urge Passage of the Health Insurance Exchange in the State Budget!

New Yorkers can’t wait any longer for affordable, quality health insurance!  

Call your State Senator on March 6th through 9th, and

URGE PASSAGE OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE

in the State budget! 

ACTION:  CALL YOUR SENATOR’S OFFICE AND SAY:

“My name is_________and I live in________(or, I’m with X organization).  I am calling to urge the Senator to do all in his power to enact legislation creating a NYS health insurance Exchange as part of the 2012 State budget, including making sure the Exchange is in the Senate’s “one house” bill next week.” 

Feel free to choose one of the points below, or add one of your own arguments as to why the Exchange is so important to you or your group!

• More than 1 million currently uninsured New Yorkers will be able to newly get affordable health coverage through the Exchange.  Millions of others will be able to enroll into better or more affordable plans than they currently have. 
• Health insurance premiums will go down by 66% for people who buy their insurance on their own in the individual market.  For employees who get their insurance from a small business, the cost of their insurance will go down by up to 22%
• If the State does not create its own Exchange, the federal government will come in and create one for us.  We need an insurance Exchange that works for New York – not a “one-size-fits-all” federal Exchange! 

The following key Senators need significant pressure:   

WESTERN NY: Senator Mark Grisanti, (716) 854-8705

SYRACUSE: Senator John DeFrancisco, (315) 428-7632

BINGHAMTON: Senator Tom Libous, (877) 854-2687 or (607) 772-8771

CENTRAL NY: Senator James Seward, (607) 432-5524

LONG ISLAND: Senator Kemp Hannon, (516) 739-1700 

CAPITAL DISTRICT: Senator Roy McDonald, (518) 274-4616

NEW YORK CITY: Senator Martin Golden, (718) 238-6044

STATEN ISLAND: Senator Andrew Lanza, (718) 984-4073