CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch today toured Engraving, Awards and Gifts in Laconia to highlight the benefits of New Hampshire HealthFirst a new wellness-focused insurance plan for small businesses. The plan, available Oct. 1, is comparable to the most popular health insurance plan for small businesses with an average 15 to 20 percent lower cost.

Gov. Lynch was joined by state Sen. Kathy Sgambati, the prime sponsor of the legislation that created New Hampshire HealthFirst .

“We set out to give small businesses and their workers a more affordable health care choice - and that’s exactly what we are delivering today with New Hampshire HealthFirst,” Gov. Lynch said.

Small businesses that are already offering quality health insurance for their workers could save thousands of dollars a year under through HealthFirst.

For example, a small business with eight employees - six single employees, one couple, and one parent and child would pay about $4,000 a month as opposed to $5,300 for a similar plan. That’s a yearly savings of more than $15,000 dollars.

A small business with 14 employees - 11 single employees, two couples, and one family would pay about $6,100 a month as opposed to $8,900 for a similar plan. That results in a yearly savings of more than $33,000 dollars.

“HealthFirst will also allow small business owners to continue to provide comprehensive insurance to their workers. This is so important because small businesses are the backbone of our state’s economy and, since most people get their health insurance through their jobs, small businesses are a critical link in our health care system,” Gov. Lynch said.

New Hampshire HealthFirst is also about moving the state’s health care discussion in a new direction - to wellness and prevention. It is a plan focused on keeping people healthy, which will help reduce the state’s overall health care costs.

The New Hampshire HealthFirst plan fully covers, without co-pays, preventative health care and encourages people to develop a relationship with a primary care provider. It provides financial incentives for enrollees to quit smoking, maintain a healthy weight and participate in health management plans for chronic illnesses.

“Too many small businesses are facing decisions about severely limiting coverage, or dropping coverage all together. That is a decision no small business should be faced with, and one that could be devastating to workers,” Gov. Lynch said. “That is why we brought people together to develop New Hampshire HealthFirst, which is working to provide small businesses with a lower cost alternative to the most popular health insurance plan for small businesses currently on the market.”

For more information regarding New Hampshire HealthFirst, including the wellness plan design, go to http://www.nh.gov/insurance/media/NewHampshireHealthFirst.htm.