For many people living in New York, the inclusion of a comprehensive health insurance plan provided by an employer plays a strong role in deciding whether or not to take a job. Most people understand the importance of health insurance and the increasing costs of having and maintaining a worthwhile policy. Therefore, when you're interviewing for a new job and need to learn which benefits are associated with the role, it is important to find out if health insurance is one of them.

Without a doubt, the most affordable way to obtain health insurance in New York is through a group insurance plan sponsored by an employer. However, while more and more employers are realizing that offering good health insurance is a great way to attract and retain the best employees, not all employers offer insurance plans. Legally, they are not required to. So what should you do if you are attracted to the job but find out your new employer will not be offering you any medical benefits?

Your next best alternative should be Healthy NY. This is an insurance program for people in New York who own businesses, are self-employed or who work for employers that do not offer health insurance plans as part of a person's benefits package.

To be eligible to join Healthy NY, you need to be currently employed or employed within the last twelve months. You should also be able to demonstrate that you are unable to access any group health insurance plans or any health insurance plans that you may have had with previous employers.
If you are a small business owner in New York, you are eligible to take out a health insurance plan with Healthy NY providing that you have less than 50 employees. A second prerequisite is that 30 percent of your employees earn less than $35,000 a year. Healthy NY offers an attractive deal for small business owners as they can claim tax deductions on their health insurance plans.
If you do not qualify for Healthy NY initially, you may be eligible later in life if your personal situation or employment status changes. Some common changes including separation, divorce, family bereavement and changes in employment can help New Yorkers that were previously ineligible for insurance through Healthy NY to qualify.

If you are interested in finding more information on health insurance coverage through Healthy NY, you should contact the New York State Department of Insurance.