Governor Kathy Hochul said on March 20 that she had a productive conversation with Dr. Mehmet Oz about protecting health care for New Yorkers.
Hochul said the discussion focused on efforts to safeguard coverage and address challenges facing the state’s health care system. She emphasized New York’s ongoing work with the federal government to identify and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in health care since she took office.
“I reiterated that New York will continue to work with the federal government to identify bad actors and root out waste, fraud, and abuse in our health care system, as we have been successfully since I took office,” Hochul said.
She also addressed concerns about recent federal actions. “At the same time, the Trump Administration’s cuts are putting coverage at risk and straining the safety-net hospitals millions of families rely on. While the State has already stepped up with $3.5 billion to support hospitals this year, we cannot absorb these cuts alone,” Hochul said.
Hochul explained that after Congress voted to reduce healthcare coverage for many New Yorkers, she acted to protect as many people as possible but is still waiting for further action from federal authorities. “When Congress voted to cut millions of New Yorkers off their healthcare, I took action to protect coverage for as many New Yorkers as possible, but we are still waiting on the federal government to do its part. I urged the Administration to do the right thing and swiftly grant the necessary waiver to ensure an orderly transition back to the Basic Health Plan that will allow us to protect care for 1.3 million New Yorkers,” she said.
The governor’s statement highlights ongoing negotiations between state and federal officials regarding funding and waivers needed for continued healthcare support.