Grantee Name
Community Service Society of New York
Funding Area
Expanding Health Care Coverage
Publication Date
August 2014
Grant Amount
$220,000
Grant Date:
July 2009 – November 2010
DOWNLOAD FULL REPORTIncreases in employer-based health insurance premiums have led to declines in health insurance uptake and coverage among low-wage workers.
New York sought to address this problem by offering a hybrid public-private health insurance program. In 2007, the New York State Legislature enacted legislation that allowed employers and union benefit funds to purchase Family Health Plus (FHP) coverage for their employees. Pilot implementation of the new Family Health Plus Employer Buy-In program (FHP EBI) began in 2008. In 2009, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) announced its intention to expand the program statewide to all employers regardless of size, type, or revenue level, but premium rates proved to be too high for employers, thereby hindering expansion.
In 2009, the New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) awarded a $210,000 grant to the Community Service Society of New York (CSS) to analyze critical design and implementation issues for FHP EBI and provide actionable recommendations to resolve program challenges and barriers.