Why New York Should Restore the Small Group Community-Rated Health Insurance Definition to 50 Employees
As healthcare costs continue to rise, expanding access to affordable coverage and giving employers more flexibility in managing healthcare expenses remain important industry challenges.
In a recent article, MCRA Strategic Advisor Andrew F. Biernat explores proposed New York legislation that would restore the definition of a small employer from businesses with up to 100 employees to those with 50 or fewer. The change could give employers with 51–100 employees greater access to alternative healthcare financing strategies, including self-funding and level-funded arrangements, while potentially encouraging greater competition among insurers and healthcare financing solutions.
For health plans, benefits professionals, and other healthcare stakeholders, this proposal raises important questions about insurance market regulation, employer coverage options, and the balance between expanding choice and maintaining stability in the small-group market. With New York considering a change that other states have already adopted, the discussion offers a timely look at how state policy decisions can influence the broader healthcare landscape.
Read the full article to explore the proposed legislation, its potential implications for employers, and lessons from Colorado’s recent policy change access to healthcare financing strategies that have been available across most of the country for years.
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