Half a year after the passage of the health care reform several changes in private health insurance have gone into effect that benefit our communities; however, many immigrants may not know about them.
"A lot of immigrants who will benefit from health care reform don't know that they do. Many of our clients are going to be saving a lot of money," said Ayaz Ahmed, director of Health Services at South Asian Council for Social Services, during a conference that took place last Tuesday at the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC). NYIC, together with a coalition of other pro-immigrant organizations, is putting together a campaign to educate communities on the health care reform and how New Yorkers can benefit from it.
Although most of the provisions of the reform will take effect in 2014, one is already accessible on the health insurance market: the New York Bridge Plan (in other states it may function under other names). This new health insurance plan, which went into effect on October 1st, is available for individuals, who are citizens or legal residents, suffer from a chronic or serious medical conditions and have been uninsured for at least six months. First and foremost, the plan is very affordable and costs less than other private health plans. In the case of residents of downstate New York, which includes New York City, a monthly premium comes up to only $421 a month. Residents of Upstate New York will pay an even smaller premium.
"Although the insurance is not available for the undocumented, it will help thousands of New Yorkers, including the immigrants – 85 percent of whom are living in the United States legally," said Jenny Rejeske, director of Health Advocacy at the NYIC.
It is not only individuals who can already benefit from the health care reform. Filing tax returns next year, small businesses and tax exempt non-profits that employ fewer than 25 full-time workers (their average salary cannot exceed $50,000) and cover at least 50 percent or the cost of health care coverage for some of its workers will be eligible for tax credits worth up to 35 percent of a small business' premium costs in 2010. On January 1, 2014, this rate will increase to 50 percent. To take advantage of the tax credit employers need to fill out IRS Form 8941.
Rejeske also reminded the conference attendees that since September 23, young people up to 26 years of age can be covered by their parents work health coverage at a group rate. She encouraged that people not waste time and inquire with employers when an additional person can be added to the insurance plan.
And lastly, any new health insurance plan that appears on the market before January 2014, like e.g. the New York Bridge Plan, is required to offer preventive health care (such as annual check ups or ob-gyn visits) without co-pays. Starting January 2014, all health plans will have to offer that service free of charge.
According to a report released in February 2010 by New Yorkers for Accessible Health Coverage and the New York Immigration Coalition, immigrant communities face an array of obstacles when it comes to accessing health care. Not only do they get held up by a language barrier, but concerns about an individual's immigration status come into play.
"It was found that immigrants are much less likely to have health insurance, much less likely to go to the doctor, more likely to delay care until it's an emergency, and more likely to seek alternative care," Rejeske said at the conference. Therefore, as she pointed out, as health care reform goes into effect, this is an opportunity to include immigrant communities by providing adequate information to understand how health care reform affects them.
