A 1996 New York state law that established a pool to help fund graduate medical education through a special assessment on employers will cost employers more next year.
The exact amount of the special assessment — known as a covered- lives assessment — is set each year by the New York State Department of Health and is based on where a company's employees reside.
For example, the 2013 assessment for an employee living in New York and opting for family coverage will be $648.41, up from $641.89 this year. The assessment for an employee living in Rochester, N.Y., and opting for family coverage will be $332.24, up from $317.13.
The lowest assessment will be paid by employers with employees living in the Utica/Watertown area. The 2013 assessment for an employee choosing family coverage will be $27.49, up from $27.37; the assessment for individual coverage will be $8.33, up from $8.29.
Separately, a surcharge that is imposed on bills incurred in New York state hospitals will be 9.63% next year, the same as this year.
The surcharge is used to help fund indigent care.