Referred to: The Public Health and Social Services Committee (Chairman Lopez and

Legislators Allen, Belfiglio, Heppner, and Roberts)

Legislator Chris Allen, Deputy Chairman of the Health and Social Services

Committee, offers the following:

 WHEREAS, prior to the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, ACA, in

2010, United States’ Consumers of health insurance plans were contractually subject

to pre-existing condition clauses that excluded them from receiving medical

treatment and coverage for all types of illnesses and medical conditions including

potentially deadly ones like cancer; and

WHEREAS, prior to 2010 and the enactment of the ACA, most health

insurance policies did not cover dependents of the primary insured customers up to

the age of 26, and it was not a required provision of all U.S. Health Insurance Plans;

and

 WHEREAS, the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, ACA, in 2010

provided opportunities for tens of millions of Americans to obtain health insurance

through the open exchange even if they had pre-existing conditions; and

 WHEREAS, millions more Americans obtained health insurance since 2010

and the enactment of the ACA through the open exchange market and through the

Federal Government’s expansion of Medicaid funding to State Governments to cover

state residents who qualify for health insurance coverage because of their income

level; and

WHEREAS, since 2010 and the enactment of the ACA, the rate of uninsured

Americans has declined from 18.2% in 2010 to 10.5% in 2015; and

WHEREAS, although financial assistance is available for uninsured

individuals to offset costs associated with obtaining insurance plans off of the open

exchange market, not everyone qualifies for subsidies or free coverage, and an

estimated 46% of uninsured adults state that they did not purchase health insurance

because it was too expensive; and

WHEREAS, the rates of uninsured Americans are much higher in states where

the income thresholds are much higher in order for state residents to qualify for stateprovided health insurance and in states that refused to expand their state programs

under the 

 WHEREAS, Ulster County would lose $2,935,566 in allocated annual

funding; and

 WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature believes that the residents of New

York State and Ulster County should be eligible to keep their existing insurance

plans available to them under the ACA and have the opportunity to obtain insurance

plans under the open exchange market or apply for the current insurance coverage

benefits available to residents of Ulster County through New York State and Ulster

County Social Services; now, therefore be it

 RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature opposes a full repeal of the

Affordable Care Act without a comparable replacement plan to be immediately put in

its place that allows consumers of health insurance to not be charged more for preexisting conditions or to be discriminated against for pre-existing conditions, and one

that allows for dependents aged 26 and under to stay on the primary insured’s plan;

and, be it further

RESOLVED that the Ulster County Legislature urges Congress and the

Executive Branch to research and examine upon how the rates of catastrophic health

insurance plans can be reduced and for such plans to have lower spending caps prior

to converge and treatment plans kicking in; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that Congress and the Executive Branch look into the action of

assisting individual states to add indigent care-based medical clinics that are based

upon a sliding scale of income levels which would provide medical treatment to

those who are still uninsured. Such clinics exist in the State of Colorado and other

states, and they are funded through the Medicaid funding that these states receive

from the Federal Government; and, be it further

 RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the Ulster County Legislature shall forward

copies of this resolution to U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand,

U.S. Congressman John Faso, Hon. Governor Andrew Cuomo, and the New York

State Association of Counties (NYSAC),

and moves its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES: NOES:

Passed Committee: Public Health and Social Services on _____________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE