Healthplansny.com Formed to Guide New York Business Owners Through the 2006 Health Care Crisis

October 6, 2006; 04:20 AM
Two New York local insurance agencies have teamed up to create Healthplansny.com and help small business owners save money on the skyrocketing costs of group health insurance.

New Yorkers pay more in property taxes and state income taxes, and when it comes to health insurance it's not much different. New York health insurance rates are about the highest in the country and small business owners in New York are feeling the squeeze.

Small business owners in NY with 2-49 employees are subject to a health care system known as "community rating" which means that regardless of an employee's age or gender the rates are the same for everyone. Community rating was implemented back in 1996 by The New York State Insurance Department to protect the consumer from unfair rate increases due to chronic illness or medical needs. But with health care costs increasing by double digits every year for the last 10 years, community rating has created a financial burden for all New York employees and employers.

For instance, in NY, the monthly rate for a healthy 30 year old single employee who rarely sees a doctor is the same high rate as a 60 year old single employee who has a chronic illness and sees the doctor 12 times a year. Across the Hudson River in New Jersey, the business owner will pay a lower monthly premium for the 30 year old employee than the 60 year old. Now that seems fair. All 49 States price their health insurance rates this way except New York.

New York Business owners are turning to the Internet in record numbers to get competitive quotes for group health insurance and group benefits. They are desperately trying to save money on health insurance premiums and still offer a competitive benefits package to their employees. But they are discovering that it's not easy getting "real time" quotes on the Web or even straight answers. The reason for this is that most "insurance agencies" that advertise on the Web are really not insurance agencies at all. They are actually lead generation companies that take the business owners request for quotes and sell that request as a "lead" to 2, 3, 4 or even more agents. It's a "crap shoot" if leads wind up in the hands of a knowledgeable New York Agent.

Healthplansny.com is a real insurance agency run by Bill Behr and Jay Gerlitz with over 30 years of combined health insurance experience.

"We've found a niche and an opportunity to provide the small business owner with expert advice, real time quotes and good old fashioned service. We're never too busy to pick up the phone and help someone who needs us or who just has a question. With over 400 companies on the books we're looking to grow this business but still provide excellent service and low cost solutions to the frustrated small business owner," said Behr.