800,001 Broken Promises: New Yorkers Still Waiting for Health Insurance Promised more than Three Years Ago

(Released April 1, 2003) On December 17, 1999 Governor Pataki announced agreement on “an historic health care initiative.” The Governor said: “This historic legislation will mean a healthier New York, providing the most comprehensive health care plan in the nation for those who need it most. Up to a million New Yorkers, many who work hard to provide a better life for their families, will now get the health insurance they need and deserve.”
The Governor’s press release explained that money to cover the uninsured, and for anti-smoking efforts would be raised by “a 55-cent additional tax on cigarettes.”

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