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Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help. More Info ### I would like to contribute One Time Monthly Yearly Join Now ![](\\" ![](\\" Chris Collins stated on March 16, 2017 in a CNN town hall: In New York state, \"you cannot charge an older person even one dollar more than a younger person\" for health insurance. ![\\"true\\"](\\" true/3d4df195c595a07e3fd69b5e4aab3e3c.jpg.\\") ![\\"true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") * Health Care * New York * Chris Collins ![\\"Rep.](\\" Rep. Chris Collins, R-Clarence, speaks during a CNN town hall on March 16, 2017. By Dan Clark March 31, 2017 # New York state prohibits higher health insurance premiums for older residents Democrats in Congress say the Obamacare repeal and replacement bill would have allowed health insurance companies to charge older Americans more for coverage. The American Health Care Act -- pulled from the House floor last week after it became clear the plan would be defeated -- would have allowed insurance companies to charge older Americans up to five times more for health coverage than younger Americans. Rep. Chris Collins, R-Clarence, addressed the issue during a town hall-style event on CNN before Republican leaders pulled the bill. \"In New York under our state insurance commissioner, we have what we call a one to one,\" Collins said. \"You cannot charge an older person even one dollar more than a younger person.\" The Affordable Care Act remains the law. While insurance companies are still allowed to charge older Americans up to three times more for coverage under that law, Collins says that’s not the case in New York state. Is he right that New York state residents pay the same price for insurance regardless of age? New York state law New York state has had what’s called a \"community rating\" model of health insurance since 1993. It requires health insurance companies to charge the same price for coverage in select regions regardless of age, gender, occupation or health status. The bill, sponsored in 1992 by Assemblyman Pete Grannis, a Democrat from New York City, passed with bipartisan support from both chambers and then-Gov. Mario M. Cuomo. The bill changed the state’s insurance law from the federal model, which allows different pricing based on age, and guaranteed \"the premium for all persons covered by a policy or contract form is the same … without regard to age, sex, health status or occupation.\" #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on July 30, 2024 in a rally in Atlanta Donald Trump “intends to cut” Medicare. ![\\"true\\"](\\" mostly-false/6a6ef6075c162fdccf5eb960e683dcd1.jpg.\\") ![\\"barely- true\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • August 7, 2024 It remains on the books today and now includes the same protection for tobacco users. Although the price is the same for different ages within each region, the regions are allowed to have different prices statewide. There are eight regions in the state. Vermont is the only other state that requires the same health insurance price for all ages. What about federal law? Experts we spoke to said New York state’s model works with the Affordable Care Act and would not have changed under the American Health Care Act. \"Federal law preempts state law, but sometimes it creates a floor instead of a ceiling for actions that can be taken by the states,\" said Rachel Morgan of the National Conference of State Legislatures. \"You must also consider that states until recently were the principal regulators of the business of insurance and instituted requirements that best served their markets.\" The floor, in this case, is the federal cap on age-based health care premiums. New York state’s law stands because its added restriction does not change federal law but supplements it. Our ruling Collins said in New York \"you cannot charge an older person even one dollar more than a younger person\" for health insurance. Collins is right. New York state has barred insurance companies from pricing based on age for more than two decades. Experts say the Affordable Care Act did not impact that law, and its would-be Republican replacement would not have either. We rate his claim True. Share the Facts Politifact ![\\"Politifact\\"](\\" logo-big.jpg\\"/) 1 7 ![\\"Politifact](\\" facts/rating_images/politifact/tom-true.png\\") Politifact Rating: True In New York state, \"you cannot charge an older person even one dollar more than a younger person\" for health insurance. Chris Collins Congressmember ![](\\" New York Thursday, March 16, 2017 03/16/2017 Read More info #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Rep. Chris Collins appears on \"The Messy Truth\", CNN, March 16, 2017 Assembly Bill 12350-A, 1992, sponsored by Assemblyman Pete Grannis Assembly and Senate journals from the 1992 legislative session Chapter 501 of 1992, signed by Gov. Mario Cuomo Section 3231 of the State Insurance Law Email and phone conversation with the Department of Financial Services New York’s eight regions for the community rating health insurance model Email conversation with Prof. Sabrina Corlette from the Health Policy Institute at Georgetown University Implementing the Affordable Care Act: State Approaches to Premium Rate Reforms in the Individual Health Insurance Market, The Commonwealth Fund, Dec. 2014 Email conversation with Rachel Morgan, health and human services expert from the National Conference of State Legislatures The American Health Care Act (Republican replacement for Affordable Care Act) \"AARP Opposes Health Care Bill\", March 7, 2017 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Dan Clark ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on May 30, 2018 in a tweet: Rep. Dan Donovan \"voted for Tax Cuts\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Dan Clark • June 4, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Christine Quinn stated on May 23, 2018 in a presentation at the State Democratic Convention: New York state has the \"second highest millionaires tax in the nation.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Dan Clark • May 31, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on May 10, 2018 in a tweet: \"Senator Cryin’ Chuck Schumer fought hard against the Bad Iran Deal, even going at it with President Obama, & then Voted AGAINST it! Now he says I should not have terminated the deal\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Dan Clark • May 24, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Edward Cox stated on May 1, 2018 in an interview on The Capital Pressroom: Marc Molinaro \"has cut taxes, his budget now is lower than it was six years ago\" in Dutchess County ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Dan Clark • May 24, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Hakeem Jeffries stated on April 29, 2018 in an interview on CNN: President Donald Trump’s budget \"threatened to cut $2 trillion from Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Dan Clark • May 4, 2018 ![](\\" ![](\\" Chele Farley stated on April 23, 2018 in an interview on Capital Tonight: \"Kirsten Gillibrand has put forward 331 bills since she\'s been in Congress. Do you know how many of them have been passed into law? 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In New York state you Cannot charge an older person even one dollar more than a younger person for health insurance