The New York State Department of Health has raised concerns following the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Budget Reconciliation Bill, warning that proposed reductions to Medicaid funding could significantly impact health care access for many residents.
State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald commented on the potential effects, stating, “This legislation threatens the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers. On the 60th anniversary of Medicaid, a program that has uplifted generations of families, we are witnessing an unprecedented rollback of health care access. Cuts of this magnitude threaten to destabilize our entire health care system and will directly harm working families, children, seniors and people with disabilities. These are not just numbers on a page, these are lives at stake.”
According to the Department, Medicaid currently covers nearly 7 million people in New York, including vulnerable groups such as children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-income families. The Department estimates that up to 1.5 million New Yorkers could lose coverage if the bill is enacted.
NYS Department of Health Medicaid Director Amir Bassiri added: “As we mark Medicaid’s 60th anniversary, we should be celebrating this transformative program that provides essential healthcare coverage to nearly 7 million New Yorkers. Instead, we are now facing the biggest cut in the program’s history that will strip coverage from up to 1.5 million New Yorkers, resulting in at least $3 billion annually in uncompensated costs for our hospitals and health centers, and communities to make accessing care harder, not easier.”
Danielle Holahan, Executive Director of NY State of Health—the state’s official health plan marketplace—highlighted previous progress made through federal reforms: “Fifteen years ago, the Affordable Care Act represented another historic leap forward in health care access, and NY State of Health has been at the forefront of that progress. Through our online marketplace we’ve offered streamlined, one-stop shopping for New Yorkers to enroll in public and commercial health coverage, expanded access to affordable coverage options, enabling the state to maintain an uninsured rate below 5 percent—achievements we should be building on, not tearing down,” she said.
The Department stated it will work to lessen negative impacts from the bill and continue providing updates about changes affecting residents’ health coverage through its website: https://info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/stay-connected
