SCHUMER: UNDER GOP PLAN TO CRIPPLE MEDICAID, ROCKLAND COUNTY WOULD BE AMONG HARDEST HIT IN THE COUNTRY, RIPPING AWAY HEALTHCARE, SENIORS COULD BE KICKED OUT OF NURSING HOMES, & LAYOFFS AT LARGEST EMPLOYERS; STANDING WITH HUDSON VALLEY PATIENTS & NURSES, SENATOR DEMANDS NY HOUSE REPUBLICANS BLOCK PLAN FOR BIGGEST MEDICAID CUT IN HISTORY
Last Week House Republicans Voted To Advance The Biggest Medicaid Cut In History -$880 BILLION; Senator Says It Would Be A Dagger To Heart Of Rockland County With Over 150,000 On Medicaid, One Of Highest Percentages Of Beneficiaries In The State, Including Nearly Half Its Children
New Reports Show NY-17 Could Lose Whopping $2+ Billion Under GOP Cuts, Hammering Hospitals, Nursing Homes & Clinics – Devastating Regional Healthcare With 31,000 Workers At 15 Hospitals & 51 Nursing Homes
Schumer: Rockland County May Be Where The Fate Of Medicaid In America Is Decided, NY Republicans Must Show Which Side They Are On
On national Medicaid Matters Day of Action, just a week after Congressional Republicans voted for the second time to enact the largest cuts to Medicaid in American history, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stood with Hudson Valley healthcare leaders, seniors, nurses, and concerned families at Helen Hayes Hospital to break down how the GOP plan would be a dagger to the heart of Rockland County’s healthcare system.
Schumer detailed how the proposed $880 billion cut from Medicaid could directly impact over 150,000 in Rockland on Medicaid and millions more across the nation ripping away healthcare for seniors and kids alike, devastating Rockland’s largest employers, and forcing counties to fill a massive budget gap. The senator called on NY House Republicans to block Trump’s plan to decimate Medicaid.
“The future of Medicaid in America may be decided right here in the Hudson Valley. If these cuts go through, Rockland County would be hit first and among the hardest in the country. It would blow a crater in the Hudson Valley’s healthcare system. Hospitals like Helen Hayes say they don’t know how they’d recover from the loss of funding. Jawonio, one of Rockland’s largest employers and a lifeline for people with disabilities, gets over 70% of their budget through Medicaid. Many fear these cuts would go so deep it would not only slash services but they could lead to devastating layoffs for the 31,000 healthcare workers in NY-17,” said Senator Schumer. “Seniors could be kicked out of nursing homes, addiction recovery centers decimated worsening the opioid crisis, and nearly 50% of children in the district who rely on Medicaid could be left without a safety net. We are in the fight of our lifetime to block the Republican plan to gut Medicaid by $880 billion. It only takes a few NY House Republicans to stop the largest Medicaid cut in history and we need NY Republicans to show us which side they are on with their actions.”
Schumer said Medicaid is a lifeline and an $880 billion cut could force healthcare facilities to cancel services, lay off staff, rip away healthcare for thousands of seniors and kids, all while forcing counties to fill a huge budget gap resulting from these Medicaid cuts. NY-17 specifically has one of the highest percentages in the state of those covered under Medicaid at 35% and one of the highest percentages of children covered at 46%. According to NYSDOH:
- Over 156,000 children are enrolled in Medicaid in NY-17 receiving $742 million in funding. Across NY-17, 62% of children under 6 and 39% of children ages 6-18 are on Medicaid.
- Nearly 45,000 seniors in NY-17 receive $1.3 billion in Medicaid benefits.
- Over 25,000 people with disabilities in NY-17 are enrolled in Medicaid receiving $1.4 billion.
While the full extent of Republican cuts to Medicaid is not yet known, a study by the Center for American Progress found the current proposal could lead to a whopping more than $2 billion loss for NY-17. The Senator said Rockland has long been a hub for the healthcare sector supporting 31,000 healthcare workers at 15 hospitals & 51 nursing homes, making this proposal especially dire for the region.
The GOP’s $880 billion in cuts would inevitably shift the costs of care to states, resulting in agonizing decisions with county executives and state legislators forced to decide where to make up for the huge budget hole caused by a near insurmountable loss in federal funding. Counties like Rockland could be forced to shoulder the burden of increased costs in Medicaid, using more local dollars to provide coverage because less federal funding will be coming in. Schumer said while some Congressional Republicans claim this plan won’t cut Medicaid, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office found the GOP plan could not be reached without reducing the funding that goes to Medicaid. There is no way to protect Medicaid benefits if Republicans move ahead with these cuts.
Schumer added, “NY Republicans are tying themselves in knots to try to justify these cuts, but the math shows you cannot move forward with this plan without hurting our seniors, families, and healthcare providers who rely on Medicaid. Trump wants these cuts for one reason: to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. They are trying to use smoke and mirrors with bogus claims of this $880 billion only stopping fraudsters but nobody, especially not in the Hudson Valley, is buying that BS.”
Across the Hudson Valley, thousands of New Yorkers have been rallying to protect Medicaid, and earlier this month, Rockland County legislators unanimously passed a resolution urging Congress to protect Medicaid funding because of how reliant the area is on this funding.
Helen Hayes Hospital is 34% reliant on Medicaid. The hospital, which is one of the oldest and premier rehabilitation centers in the nation, helps treat New Yorkers recovering from disabling injuries and illnesses. Jawonio, Rockland’s 5th biggest employer with over 900 staff, provides 3,500 children and adults with disability, mental health, education, and other services is 73% reliant on Medicaid and said if these cuts went through would slash healthcare services for thousands across the Hudson Valley. In total, 15 Hospitals & 51 Nursing Home facilities across NY-17 could face devastating Medicaid cuts: Westchester Medical Center received $265 million from Medicaid and has over 9,000 employees. St. John’s Riverside Hospital receives $200 million from Medicaid and has nearly 1,800 full-time employees. Blythedale Children’s Hospital receives $75 million from Medicaid and has approximately 462 full-time employees. United Hebrew Geriatric Center receives $15 million from Medicaid and has approximately 271 full-time employees. The New Jewish Home, Sarah Neuman receives $26 million from Medicaid and has approximately 374 full-time employees. Along with many others including community health centers like Refuah and Sun River.
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Medicaid makes healthcare possible for the most vulnerable among us. Cuts to Medicaid hurt everyone. Make no mistake: these proposed Medicaid cuts will broaden health disparities. These cuts aren't just numbers on a page – they're going to hurt real people in every corner of New York.”
“Medicaid is essential to ensuring access to rehabilitation and long-term support for people recovering from serious injuries and illnesses, and those living with disabilities,” said Yvonne Evans, Acting Chief Executive Officer of New York State Department of Health's Helen Hayes Hospital. ”We see daily how important this coverage is for our patients and their families. Protecting Medicaid means protecting health, independence, and dignity and we thank Sen. Schumer, Gov. Hochul and Dr. McDonald for their support.”
“Any potential cuts to Medicaid funding could have devastating effects on both the individuals who rely on it and the providers who support them. Reduced funding could lead to fewer resources…increased workloads…and the inability to provide necessary services. Medicaid is indispensable for people with disabilities,” said Randi Rios-Castro, CEO of Jawonio.
“Everyone deserves high-quality healthcare, including affordable doctors’ appointments and low-cost prescriptions,” said Carolyn Martinez-Class, Campaign Manager for Invest in Our New York. “Taking away 7 million New Yorkers’ ability to live healthy lives, especially to pay for tax breaks for the obscenely rich, is absolutely unacceptable. We expect every New York representative to follow Senator Schumer’s lead by opposing these devastating cuts and standing up for the communities they represent.”
"Westchester Medical Center, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, and the Behavioral Health Center are safety-net hospitals serving all patients, regardless of their ability to pay," said David Lubarsky, MD, MBA, President and CEO of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth). "As regional referral centers, these hospitals handle over 12,000 transfers annually, providing advanced care to the critically ill. As the largest Medicaid provider in the region, serving one in three Medicaid patients, any cuts to Medicaid would restrict access for underserved Hudson Valley communities, deter preventive care, increase untreated conditions, and heighten reliance on emergency departments. This burdens patients and strains public hospitals. Sustained support is critical to meet our region's complex healthcare needs."
"Nurses see firsthand how critical this program is to millions of vulnerable patients who would otherwise forego life-saving healthcare and medications. It is unconscionable that these cuts are being considered. Nurses are prepared to fight back, for our patients and the future of healthcare in this country,” said NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN.
Schumer warned that Medicaid serves as a lifeline for more than 7 million New Yorkers and is the primary payer for long-term care in the United States, including at nursing homes and for people living at home. Medicaid pays for services for 2 in 3 nursing home residents. Families will have nowhere else to turn if Medicaid is cut, and millions of people will be left trying to figure out how to access the care and services they rely on every day.
Nearly 1 in 4 Medicaid enrollees are eligible for the program because they are ages 65 and older or have a disability. Proposals to limit federal spending on Medicaid will force states to consider dropping or limiting eligibility or coverage for seniors and people with disabilities to make up for a huge budget hole with fewer federal dollars coming to New York. Loss of Medicaid coverage poses unique challenges for seniors and people with disabilities, people who are likely to live on fixed incomes, have high health care spending, and rely on Medicaid for help with everyday life and for coverage of long-term care.
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