Westchester & Otsego Counties Healthy NY Expansion Demonstration

In 2001, New York State created the Healthy NY program, which was designed to offer a basic health insurance product for small businesses (two to 50 employees), sole proprietors, and individuals at an affordable price.

However, Healthy NY has not achieved its potential enrollment and most notably lacks enrollment among sole proprietors. The New York Health Plan Association Council (HPA) sought to increase enrollment in Healthy NY among sole proprietors in Westchester and Otsego Counties by partnering with the Business Council of Westchester and Otsego County Chamber of Commerce to educate brokers about Healthy NY benefits, eligibility requirements, and enrollment process. One-time enrollment incentives of $50, and later $100, proved too limited to encourage many brokers to enroll sole proprietors in Healthy NY. The project aimed to increase enrollment by 500 sole proprietors over a 12-month period, and ultimately enrolled 75.