[[First_Name]]-

There’s only 6 working days left to this year’s legislative session. Right now, there are two draft proposals that will create New York’s health insurance exchange: one from the Governor, and one from the Senate Republican Majority.

The Governor’s proposal will create an exchange that will protect consumers. It protects New Yorkers from skyrocketing rates, allows the exchange to keep bad plans out, and requires consumer expertise in the exchange’s governing body.

But, the Senate Majority plan will basically let the fox in the hen house - giving huge power the big insurance companies to take advantage of New Yorkers who desperately need health coverage.

Click here to send a fax to your legislators urging them to adopt a pro-consumer proposal that builds on the Governor’s draft.

New York needs to pass legislation authorizing the creation of the exchange - the place where small businesses and individuals can buy health coverage - by the end of the legislative session, or else we’ll lose out on millions of dollars in federal grant money.

It’s crunch time. The creation of the health insurance exchange is the next step in our fight for health care reform. We can’t let big insurance take away what we worked so hard to win.

Today, we’re distributing a fact sheet to all members of the Senate and Assembly, showing them key differences between the two exchange proposals. We’re asking them: "Will you protect health care consumers, or will you let the fox in the hen house?"

Click here to download a pdf of the fact sheet.

While we’re down at the Capitol today passing out this fact sheet, we need you to be getting your messages into legislator’s offices.

Take a minute right now and fax a letter to your legislators urging them to protect consumers, not big insurance.

Thanks for all you do,

Karen Scharff
Executive Director
Citizen Action of New York