With Montefiore Nyack and other NY Hospitals Facing Closures, New Yorkers Blast Rep. Lawler’s Medicaid Cuts
As Medicaid rule hearings begin, and on the 61st anniversary of Medicaid, Empire State Voices hosts “Medicaid Matters” rally to hold Rep. Lawler accountable for gutting Medicaid funding and hurting New York’s Hospitals
Photo from Empire State Voices
HUDSON VALLEY, NEW YORK — Today, Empire State Voices hosted the second of two “Medicaid Matters” rallies outside of Montefiore Nyack Hospital, calling out Congressman Mike Lawler for gutting funding for hospitals and healthcare programs and kicking families off the New York Essential Plan.
The “Medicaid Matters” rallies come on the 61st anniversary of Medicaid being signed into law, highlighting how vital these hospitals are for healthcare in the Hudson Valley and uplifting the voices of the 14,000 people in NY-17 who have lost their Medicaid coverage as a result of Congressman Lawler’s vote to cut healthcare funding.
This week, court hearings began over the new Medicaid rules, which are slated to go into effect in January, leading to even more people with serious illnesses, from cancer to sickle cell disease, losing their coverage.
During the rally, NY-17 constituents blasted Rep. Lawler for supporting policies that cut funding for Medicaid and healthcare services, and demanded action to lower healthcare costs and to keep hospitals open.
Two hospitals in Lawler’s district, including Montefiore Nyack, and 45 more across the state were deemed at risk of closure, layoffs, or reduced services due to Medicaid cuts, according to a recent report. Lawler, when confronted about the impact of the Republican Tax Law on rising healthcare costs and hospitals, accused hospital officials of “parroting talking points.”
“People are already struggling. The last thing families need is to lose their healthcare,” said Kimberly Knight, a pharmacy tech at Nyack Hospital. “To Congressman Lawler, it’s time to stand up for the people you represent. Stop voting for your party and the billionaires and start voting to fund the things people need.”
“Congressman Lawler continues to make it clear that he would rather give tax breaks to billionaires than make life easier and more affordable for the people he represents, and that includes his blatant choice to gut funding for Medicaid,” said Robert, a retiree from Stony Point. “I bought into this system for over 40 years, but now, my neighbors and I are struggling to pay for our groceries, gas, prescriptions, and to get healthcare. We need our leaders to start making decisions that lower our costs and ensure that people get coverage.”
“As a physician, every day I see more and more of my colleagues and our facilities struggling amid higher healthcare costs, fewer offices that have longer wait times, and providers who are already stretched thin, all because of the Medicaid cuts Congressman Lawler voted for,” said Pablo from Bardonia. “In response, Rep. Lawler accused healthcare workers of parroting talking points. But we’re the ones actually in the room, and we need our leaders to start listening when we tell them the stakes, because they’re all too high right now.”
“Thousands of Rockland community members rely on Medicaid for their health care, and yet Rep. Mike Lawler has continued to vote for policies that strip away this essential program. We will not stop fighting until our representatives stop prioritizing their political gains over the health of our community, because Rockland deserves better,” said Anna Brand, Advocacy & Government Relations Coordinator, Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic Action Fund.
Throughout July, Empire State Voices has engaged with communities across the district to uplift voices of New Yorkers who are feeling the impact of healthcare cuts in the Republican Tax Law, which Rep. Mike Lawler proudly supports.
Empire State Voices is calling on Congressman Lawler to take meaningful action to help lower healthcare costs for Hudson Valley families. Read more about the devastating impact the legislation is already having here.###
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. To learn more about Empire State Voices, contact press@empirestatevoices.org
The “Medicaid Matters” rallies come on the 61st anniversary of Medicaid being signed into law, highlighting how vital these hospitals are for healthcare in the Hudson Valley and to uplift the voices of the 14,000 people in NY-17 who have lost their Medicaid coverage as a result of Congressman Lawler’s vote to cut healthcare funding.
This week, court hearings began over the new Medicaid rules, which are slated to go into effect in January, leading to even more people with serious illnesses, from cancer to sickle cell disease, losing their coverage.
During the rally, NY-17 constituents blasted Rep. Lawler for supporting policies that cut funding for Medicaid and healthcare services, and demanded action to lower healthcare costs and to keep hospitals open.
Two hospitals in Lawler’s district and 45 across the state were deemed at risk of closure, layoffs, or reduced services due to Medicaid cuts, according to a recent report. Lawler, when confronted about the impact of the Republican Tax Law on rising healthcare costs and hospitals, accused hospital officials of “parroting talking points.”
“As an Air Force veteran and a representative of lab techs at my local union, I have seen people from all different backgrounds who need help getting cancer screenings, affording prescriptions, even accessing basic healthcare, and they depend on Medicaid to get it,” said Joe from Pawling. “Congressman Lawler’s extreme agenda is hurting my neighbors and me. He must start making decisions that lower our healthcare costs, because we can’t afford for him to keep attacking our access to healthcare.”
“After I was diagnosed with cancer during my last trimester of pregnancy, my daughter only survived because Medicaid made it possible for her to receive 12 hours of care at home every day,” said Karen from Yorktown. “Medicaid is a lifeline for families just like mine, and Mike Lawler still voted to cut it. I will be out here every day reminding him of the harm he has done in our communities.”
Throughout July, Empire State Voices has engaged with communities across the district to uplift voices of New Yorkers who are feeling the impact of healthcare cuts in the Republican Tax Law, which Rep. Mike Lawler proudly supports.
Empire State Voices is calling on Congressman Lawler to take meaningful action to help lower healthcare costs for Hudson Valley families. Read more about the devastating impact the legislation is already having here.###
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. To learn more about Empire State Voices, contact press@empirestatevoices.org
