HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Today, State Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg, Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson and New York Medicaid recipients joined Empire State Voices, Unrig Our Economy, and Healthcare Education Project for a press call to warn New Yorkers about how Medicaid cuts, resulting from the Republican Tax Law, threatens to upend their health coverage and jeopardize access to critical care for thousands.
The call comes as Medicaid enrollees across New York began receiving notices last month about potentially losing access to Medicaid as a result of cuts included in the Republican Tax Law. Since its passage, advocates have raised the alarm about how these cuts could prevent vulnerable populations from access to lifesaving medical care, including Americans battling cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses, as well as people with disabilities. Republicans in Congress, like Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17), voted for the law.
During the call, New York Medicaid recipients shared their personal experiences with Medicaid, notification letters they received, and what losing Medicaid would mean for their health and financial security. Speakers also discussed the broader consequences of the cuts for families and communities across the state, including the impact on hospitals, community clinics, and the cost of health care generally.
Watch the full press call here
“People like lawful immigrants or refugees, asylees, and women who are fleeing domestic violence are already losing coverage, and then there are even more people who we know are going to lose coverage after [November]. We're bracing for hundreds of thousands more people to actually lose coverage when the new work requirements and the more frequent renewals go into effect in January,” said State Assemblymember Dana Levenberg. “We need to make sure that we protect our federal health care system and all of the money that's been going into it to make sure it actually serves the people here in New York State.”
“As a county legislator here in Rockland, where four out of 10 of our residents depend on Medicaid, I have a front row-seat to the ways in which the Big Ugly Bill is impacting both patients and providers,” said Beth Davidson, Rockland County Legislator. “We're already being affected by the SNAP cuts that are tearing through our local communities and our local budgets, and the Medicaid cuts coming next year are just going to make it all worse. We think of Medicaid as health care for low-income people, and it is, but it's so much more—supportive housing, transportation services for people with special needs, care that keeps our seniors out of hospitals and nursing homes. I represent health care workers who are terrified of losing their jobs, because our two safety net hospitals here in Rockland are also impacted.”
“I think there's a misconception about who actually relies on programs like Medicaid. I was a young woman building my career. I was working. I had a future I was planning, and then suddenly my entire life revolved around cancer treatments, appointments, medications, and honestly, trying to stay alive. Medicaid made it possible for me to focus on my treatment instead of wondering whether I could actually afford it,” said Justine Morris, a Westchester native and 32-year-old breast cancer survivor who relied on Medicaid during her treatment. “When we talk about new requirements, more frequent eligibility checks, and reductions in health care funding, we're not just talking about numbers on a spreadsheet. We're talking about whether someone can actually get chemotherapy, whether they can fill a prescription, or continue seeing a doctor that knows their medical history. And while I understand that health care policy is complicated, I think our fundamental question is actually very simple: Are we making it easier or harder for people to get the care that they need? Because I can tell you firsthand that getting sick is hard enough, and we shouldn't be making it harder for people to get care too.”
“Medicaid’s been able to serve us and our family in keeping Mom from a nursing home where she wouldn't have been able to really live her best life. So we're really grateful for the program, and with that, I really have spent the last year and a half trying to get answers about how the big ugly bill impacts are going to be,” said Tina Volz- Bongar, a Creative and Marketing Events Director who helps to take care of Dee, her 103-year-old mother, who relies on Medicaid. “We've seen impacts in mom's monthly budget, in terms of medical supplies, and that was July 1. When I asked the Congressman about this, he said, "Oh, no one would take Medicaid from a 103-year-old," and you know that was actually the most disturbing thing I've heard from an elected official in a while because it really told me that there was a lack of understanding of what would happen.”
“My son Gabe has autism and some mental health issues on top of it, and he is living in a residence in Saugerties, New York. 90% of the residences, the day programs, and the extra support that people with developmental disabilities and intellectual disabilities run through the ARC, which they receive through Medicaid,” said Wendy Wolfe, a retired teacher who has a disabled son relying on Medicaid. “I just turned 80 years old. I'm not going to be around to advocate for him for that much longer. They're always short-staffed, and it's hard to keep staff because they don't pay very well. Every person who has a disability gets a care manager, and there have been big cuts there, and I'm sure much more to come down the line. So I'm worried about my son's future.”
“Every day, we hear the stories of New Yorkers who are struggling to keep up with rising costs or losing their access to reliable health care, and now even more Medicaid enrollees are starting to get notices that they're losing their care,” said Courtney Fields, Empire State Voices Executive Director. “While families are weighing whether or not they can afford to go to the doctor or fill a prescription, those at the very top continue to benefit. We will continue our work to uplift the voices of Hudson Valley families who feel like they have been left behind by our leaders in Washington.”
“Today’s speakers made one thing crystal clear – the cuts to programs like Medicaid included in the Republican Tax Law have only benefited the wealthiest Americans, while jeopardizing lifesaving health care for working New York families,” said Unrig Our Economy Campaign Director Leor Tal. “As hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers begin to receive notices about their access to care, it’s important to remember that everyone is going to feel the cost of these Medicaid cuts, and the consequences could be dire.”
"Over 1.5 million Medicaid beneficiaries in New York are expected to be impacted, and the Healthcare Education Project is joining Empire State Voices and Unrig Our Economy to ring the alarm,” said Casandra Chen, MPH, Healthcare Advocate at Healthcare Education Project. “Federal cuts to Medicaid and the implementation of Medicaid work requirements will devastate individuals and families by causing them to lose coverage. In partnership with community-based organizations, we will work tirelessly to help people cut through this bureaucratic red tape and keep their health care."
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About Unrig Our Economy
Unrig Our Economy is a national campaign to fix the rules of our economy to make it work for working people. We know that when the middle class does well, all of us do well — which is why we’re fighting on behalf of working Americans and holding corporations, their wealthy executives, and the politicians who enable them accountable.
About Empire State Voices
Empire State Voices is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. We are fighting for economic policies that make life more affordable for constituents and holding members of Congress across the state accountable when they fail to do the same.
About the Healthcare Education Project
The Healthcare Education Project is a joint effort of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East and the Greater New York Hospital Association. Together, the two organizations represent over 450,000 healthcare workers and nearly 280 not-for-profit hospitals and continuing care facilities. HEP’s mission is to protect and expand access to quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans through education, advocacy, and coalition building.
