HealthFirst Insurance Company Review
Our unbiased Healthfirst Insurance review sheds light on this new comer to the New York group health insurance marketplace. As independent insurance agents we give you the real scoop whether this insurance carrier is worth consideration for your business.
About Healthfirst Insurance Company
At first glance, most New Yorker’s might recognize the Healthfirst insurance company as a provider of Medicare, Medicaid and individual health plans to lower income consumers. However, their organization has been steadily expanding their insurance products from its start of Medicaid plans, Medicare and now to the small business market.
The company was founded in the early 1990’s by a group of hospitals under the backing of the Greater New York Hospital Association. Healthfirst serves more than 1.2 million members in downstate New York and Nassau county.
“Quick Tip! Use our group health comparison tool to get a free quote for your small business.”
Healthfirst Health Insurance Network
This not-for-profit insurance carrier has established alliances with some of the most prestigious hospitals in the New York City area. Hospitals such as Phelps, Jacobi Medical Center, Montefiore and Northern Westchester Hospital just to name a few.
The Healthfirst provider network is relatively small compared to most other major health care providers. Their network of doctors and hospitals are limited to the New York City area, boroughs and Nassau county. As the company increases its membership base, they will undoubtedly expand their alliances to more doctors and medical groups in other regions.
Why Healthfirst for Small Business?
If you are a small business owner, you might want to consider this company as your new group health insurance provider. After all, there aren’t too many choices for small business health insurance in the state of New York. The main providers are Oxford, Oscar, Aetna, Emblem, Empire Blue Cross and MVP and now, Healthfirst.
Their pricing is competitive but not the lowest. If your business and workers are located in New York City, you might find this company a good fit for your business.
Healthfirst Group Health Plans
The company offers a robust suite of EPO (Exclusive Provider Organization) health plans. Compared to other health care providers, their plan offerings are relatively simple. They offer 2 EPO health plans designs: Pro EPO and Pro Plus EPO.
The only difference between the EPO Pro and EPO Pro Plus is that PRO includes the option to purchase adult dental and vision insurance. Both plan designs meet all the essential health care requirements as mandated by The Affordable Care Act (ACA). They include, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze options.
Small Group Health Plan Requirements
For an employer to be eligible for a Healthfirst small group health plan, the employer must have at least 1 eligible employee on payroll and no more than 100 employees.
In addition, the employer must be located in New York state and have employees who work or live in: Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn, Nassau and Staten Island.
60% of employee participation is required. For employees that are not enrolling, valid waivers of coverage are required. These waivers include: Spousal coverage, Domestic Partner group coverage, Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans coverage, COBRA, Parental Coverage, Individual/Family Qualified Health Plan from NY State
Standard health care benefits include:
• No-cost annual checkups
• Urgent care visits
• Hospital stays
• Lab tests (blood tests & X-rays)
• Maternity and newborn care
• Prescription drugs
• Vision and dental benefits for all ages*
• $0 copay for access to 24/7 telemedicine
• Up to $600 in exercise rewards
• Coverage for acupuncture visits
*Available for EPO Pro Plus Only
The Healthfirst Bottomline
We like this company because of the simplicity their health plan offerings. Their plans are simple to understand and not confusing like other insurance carriers. Although their network coverage is rather limited to lower New York, we are confident they will expand as they gain more customers. With such a limited group health marketplace as we have now, it’s refreshing to have an additional company to offer our clients.
Compare Healthfirst Insurance Quotes
The best way to decide if Healthfirst is right for your business is to shop around. We provide real-time group health quotes from our comparison tool. You can compare quotes, rates, and services from all our top health insurance companies. This information will help you decide if Healthfirst Insurance is right for you and would meet your insurance needs.
As independent agents, we offer unbiased advice and will not try to push you to one particular insurance carrier. We work the best health insurance companies in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. If you would like a free group health consultation, give our office a call at: 800-234-3702
