• New York State has a number of laws that protect the insured.Statue of Liberty image by sival from Fotolia.com
  
  New York State has a number of options for residents in need of health insurance.This includes a number of private insurers as well as state-sponsored programs aimed at helping those with great need. Anyone insured in NYS is also guaranteed a number of rights and safeguards to protect their financial and physical health.
  
  

Coverage Available

• In New York State, there are a number of coverage plans available to residents, including HMOs--Health Maintenance Organizations--or group insurance plans in place to control health care costs. Some popular HMOs in NYS include Empire HealthChoice, Atlantis, and the Rochester Area HMO. There are also a number of state-sponsored insurance programs including Child Health Plus for low-income families with needy children, Healthy NY, specializing in providing affordable healthcare coverage for small businesses, and the HIV Special Needs Plan, a part of NYS Medicaid offered to individuals with HIV.
  
  

General Consumer Rights

• Consumers with health insurance are protected in New York State, and are guaranteed certain rights. These include the right to full disclosure of a number of health-insurance related documents, the right to choose a different physician for life-threatening or disabling conditions, the right to be informed of all treatment options available from insurer physicians, and the right to emergency health care without prior insurance approval.
  
  

Women’s Health Insurance

• Contraceptive pills must be covered under prescription drug plans in NYS.Prescription medicine image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
  
  Women with health insurance are also guaranteed certain rights, including the right to two OB/GYN checkups a year and any pregnancy-related care, the right to bone-density measurements, the right to breast and cervical cancer screenings, and the right to have contraceptive pills covered under any prescription drug coverage plans.
  
  

Insurance Grievances

• Insurance providers must have toll-free hotlines for grievances.Old telephone image by Nenad Djedovic from Fotolia.com
  
  Those with health care in NYS have the right to contest HMO and insurer decisions. Reasons for grievances can range from the denial of payment for treatment with a referred specialist, the refusal to reimburse the insured for an emergency room visit, or having the insured's hospital stay cut short unfairly. Insurance providers must have a free hotline for dealing with these grievances. Decisions needing a quick response for the health of the insured, as might be the case for surgery, must be made within 48 hours of the initial grievance. All others must be decided within 30 or 45 days. If the insured is still not satisfied and would like to appeal a decision, they may file a complaint with the New York State Insurance Department.