New York Gov. David A. Paterson has signed into law a series of health reform efforts, including extending coverage to those who have lost their jobs and increasing the age of a dependent to 29.

David Paterson

In signing the bills, Paterson said the reforms will make health insurance more affordable for New Yorkers by enhancing access to group health insurance. The new laws take effect Sept. 1.

“More than 2.5 million of our residents do not have health insurance, partly because of the high cost of coverage,” Paterson said in a statement. “We must take the necessary steps to improve our broken health care system. By making insurance coverage more accessible, we bring people into the system before they need emergency treatment, reducing the overall cost of health care to the state.”

One bill extends the period of time for coverage under the federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) for employees who lose their job to continue health insurance. The new law extends the period of coverage from 18 months to 36 months.

Outlined in his State of the State address, a bill requiring insurer to allow unmarried children through age 29, regardless of financial dependence, to be covered under a parent’s group health insurance policy also was signed by Paterson.

The governor’s office estimates that young adults, ages 19-29, represent 31% of uninsured New Yorkers, often becoming ineligible for coverage under their parents’ policies at age 19 or upon high school or college graduation. They then find themselves in entry-level jobs without employer-based coverage, so under the new law, premiums are paid for by families, not the parents’ employers, and would cost less because coverage is under group policies rather than individual policies, Paterson’s office said.

The law also requires insurers to offer employers an option to purchase coverage that includes young adults as dependents in family policies through age 29.

A third bill implements a number of reforms to protect consumers, including prohibiting insurers from treating an in-network provider as out-of-network because the referring provider was out of network; reducing the time insurers have to review requests for post-hospital home health care; and requiring insurers and HMOs to give participating providers notice of adverse reimbursement changes to provider contracts and giving providers an opportunity to cancel the contract.

Acting Insurance Superintendent Kermitt J. Brooks said Paterson’s legislative package “includes substantial reforms that will have a real impact on New Yorkers, allowing those who currently cannot afford health insurance to obtain coverage.”

“In addition, these proposals help make insurance work better for consumers, providers, health plans and employers,” Brooks said in a statement.

State Sen. Neil D. Breslin (D-Delmar), chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee, said the legislation provides New Yorkers with greater access to preventative care and more affordable insurance, “vitally needed in this economic climate.”

“It is also a significant step toward reforming our health insurance system,” he said. “I commend Governor Paterson for signing these very important bills and I look forward to building on these efforts during the next legislative session.”