NH Gov. on health insurance for small businesses

Lynch announces small businesses will be able to access lower cost health insurance beginning Oct. 1

CONCORD - July 8, 2009 -- New Hampshire Governor John Lynch today announced that beginning October 1st New Hampshire HealthFirst will provide small businesses access to a quality, wellness-focused health insurance plan that may save them thousands of dollars a year.

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Gov. Lynch worked to pass legislation creating New Hampshire HealthFirst to offer small businesses a more affordable health insurance option.

The New Hampshire HealthFirst will cost an average of 15 to 20 percent less than comparable insurance plans.

“We set out to give small businesses and their workers a more affordable health care choice - and that’s exactly what we are delivering today with New Hampshire HealthFirst,” Gov. Lynch said.

For example, a small business with eight employees - six single employees, one couple, and one parent and child would pay about $4,000 a month as opposed to $5,300 for a similar plan. That’s a yearly savings of more than $15,000 dollars. A small business with 14 employees - 11 single employees, two couples, and one family would pay about $6,100 a month as opposed to $8,900 for a similar plan. That’s a yearly savings of more than $33,000 dollars.

“Small businesses could save thousands of dollars a year, while still offering their employees quality health insurance,” Gov. Lynch said. “That is savings that small businesses can invest growing their companies or hiring new employees. It is savings that may help make it possible for some small business owners to continue to provide comprehensive insurance to their workers.”

New Hampshire HealthFirst is also about moving the state’s health care discussion in a new direction.

“New Hampshire HealthFirst is also about changing the direction of health care in New Hampshire. It is a plan that focuses on keeping people healthy, which will help reduce our state’s overall health care costs,” Gov. Lynch said.

The New Hampshire HealthFirst plan fully covers, without co-pays, preventative health care and encourages people to develop a relationship with a primary care provider. It provides financial incentives for enrollees to quit smoking, maintain a healthy weight, and participate in health management plans for chronic illnesses.

“Too many small businesses are facing decisions about severely limiting coverage, or dropping coverage all together. That is a decision no small business should be faced with, and one that could be devastating to workers,” Gov. Lynch said. “That is why we brought people together, including the Insurance Department and stakeholders, to develop New Hampshire HealthFirst, which is working to provide small businesses with a lower cost alternative for comprehensive care.”

New Hampshire HealthFirst is part of a comprehensive effort Gov. Lynch has undertaken to help more of our citizens have access to quality, affordable health care.

Gov. Lynch created the Citizens Health Initiative, which is working to make New Hampshire a center of health care innovation. The Citizens Health Initiative has been working to make more information about health care costs available, expand the use of electronic medical records and to ensure our providers can prescribe medications electronically.

“HealthFirst is another next step we are taking in helping to stabilize health care costs here in New Hampshire,” Gov. Lynch said.

The legislation creating New Hampshire HealthFirst was sponsored by Sens. Kathy Sgambati, Maggie Hassan, Deb Reynolds, Bob Odell, John Gallus, Jack Barnes, Jackie Cilley, Martha Fuller Clark, Molly Kelly, Lou D'Allesandro, David Gottesman, Sylvia Larsen and Harold Janeway, and former senators Joe Foster and Iris Estabrook; as well as Reps. Sharon Nordgren, Peter Bergin, James Pilliod and Ed Butler, and former representative Martha McLeod.

For more information regarding New Hampshire HealthFirst, including the wellness plan design, go to http://www.nh.gov/insurance/media/NewHampshireHealthFirst.htm.

Source: New Hampshire Governor