NY Health Care Budget Responds to Federal Cuts

Governor Hochul’s proposed budget includes $136.5 billion for health care, virtually the same as this year. Medicaid spending would account for $122.6 billion, a decrease of $3.4 billion or 2.7 percent, primarily due to the loss of federal funding for the Essential Plan. The Essential Plan provides comprehensive health coverage for over 1.7 million moderate income individuals and families The increased state share of Medicaid expenditure is primarily due to $2.6 billion in federal cuts requiring the shift of 486,000 lawfully present immigrants from the Essential Plan to state-funded Medicaid. At the February 10th state budget hearing on health care, there was virtually no discussion related to passing the NY Health Act to save billions of dollars through a single payer health care system. We hear testimony from Mia Wagner of Health Care for All NY, Lara Kassel of Medicaid Matters NY, Leon Bell of the NYS Nurses Association. By Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.