Working for a healthier Long Island

Assemblyman
Phil Ramos:

Dear Neighbor,

As Suffolk’s health care costs continue to rise, so too does the need for quality care. Unfortunately, a down economy has left many families struggling to keep pace. That’s why I’m fighting to keep insurance premiums down and expand coverage to ensure that affordable, top-notch health care remains in reach for all New Yorkers.

I hope you find the information and resources listed inside this mailer useful. As always, if you have any questions or concerns about this or any other topic, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Phil Ramos
Member of Assembly

1010 Suffolk Avenue
Brentwood, NY 11717
631-435-3214
ramosp@assembly.state.ny.us

Click here to print a health care proxy

Holding the line on health care costs

In June, Assemblyman Phil Ramos helped pass a budget extender requiring that health insurance rate hikes go through a prior approval process before going into effect. The action comes in response to the industry’s profits-first mentality, one often responsible for arbitrary – and sometimes astronomical – premium increases. The new measure will crack down on frivolous rate adjustments and keep costs down for enrollees.

Protecting children with autism
A bill supported by Phil Ramos would require health insurance companies to provide coverage for costs associated with the screening, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders, the fastest growing developmental disorder in the country (A.10372-A). Currently, autism coverage is subject to age limits and spending caps, robbing afflicted children of the critical care and early intervention they need to live their lives to the fullest. The new bill would not only ease the burden on families frequently forced to foot the bill, it would deliver for the estimated one in 110 children affected by the disorder.

Shielding our children from harmful chemicals
Parents are constantly on the lookout for anything that could harm their children, but that job is made much more difficult when threats take the shape of innocuous, everyday objects. That’s why Ramos supported a bill to ban bisphenol-A (BPA), a dangerous chemical found in certain plastics, from products geared toward children (Ch. 280 of 2010). BPA has been linked to a number of debilitating conditions, including asthma, breast cancer, prostate cancer and poly-cystic ovarian syndrome. Under the bill, BPA would be banned from baby bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers and toys.

Health resources for your family
Family Health Plus/Child Health Plus: Family Health Plus is a free health insurance program for working adults ages 19 to 64 who have income or resources too high to qualify for Medicaid. Child Health Plus is New York State’s health insurance plan for ALL children under 19 who are uninsured and do not receive Children’s Medicaid. To learn if you or your children qualify for either program, visit www.mybenefits.ny.gov.

Suffolk SCRIPTS
Suffolk SCRIPTS is a free pharmacy discount card available to all Suffolk residents. The card offers savings of up to 20 percent on thousands of prescription drugs at over 300 local pharmacies. While SCRIPTS is not an insurance plan, it promises savings to all who use it – even those with personal insurance plans. To find out where to pick up a card of your own, call toll-free 877-321-2652.

Choosing a new physician
Looking for a new doctor? Visit www.nydoctorprofile.com, the New York State Physician Profile website, to help find a doctor who’s right for you.