With the Senate passing and sending to the House its version of the Trump megabill that includes tax cuts along with spending cuts for programs such as Medicaid, which would face $930 billion in cuts, the likely impact on New York state has been examined. It’s estimated that 1.5 million New Yorkers would lose their health coverage because of cuts in Medicaid and changes to the Affordable Care Act that would make it more difficult to sign up. Gov. Kathy Hochul forecasts that some hospitals and nursing homes would have to close due to a lack of Medicaid funding. In addition, about 250,000 New Yorkers would see cuts in their food assistance provided under the SNAP program.
“I will do everything in my power to shield New Yorkers from the fallout,” Hochul said. “But if this bill becomes law, there will be real pain. And the Republicans who helped inflict it won’t be able to hide from the consequences. Not in Washington. Not in New York. Not ever.”
The Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) and the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) calculated that cuts to New York hospitals alone will amount to $8 billion. GNYHA and HANYS estimate that the cuts will lead to 34,000 lost hospital jobs and an additional 29,000 lost related jobs, and create a cumulative $14.4 billion in lost hospital-generated economic activity in the state.
According to GNYHA President Kenneth E. Raske, “This bill’s massive Medicaid cuts and health insurance eligibility restrictions will do enormous damage to New York state and its hospitals. Some financially fragile institutions will cease to exist. All patients will be impacted. There is no rationale for this.”
HANYS President Bea Grause said, “It is astonishing to me that there is such determination to put so many people’s health and financial security at risk. This bill will not only harm individual New Yorkers. Its impact will ripple out to their families and communities, leaving almost no one untouched in its wake.”
It was calculated that in the Hudson Valley there would be 3,623 hospital jobs lost and a total of 6,723 jobs lost as a result of the legislation. The total economic loses to the Hudson Valley were estimated at $1,528,578,000.
In Rep. George Latimer’s 16th Congressional District, the likely hospital employment loss was estimated at 1,278 jobs with a total of 2,372 jobs lost throughout the district. The total economic loss would be $539,3332,000. In Rep. Mike Lawler’s 17th Congressional District, it was estimated that 1,462 hospital jobs would be lost, 2,713 total jobs would be lost and the economic hit would come to $616,822,000.
“All New Yorkers deserve access to high-quality health care, it’s that simple,” Hochul said. “Republicans in Washington, including seven representing New York, are trying to rip away this basic human right from New Yorkers and I will not stand by and watch it happen, I’m standing up for our hardworking hospitals and families who rely on this care to survive.”
The Community Health Care Association of New York State estimates a direct loss of $300 million for the state’s Community Health Centers, resulting in almost 2,000 layoffs. Community Health Centers provide care to one in eight New Yorkers, regardless of their ability to pay.
Hochul’s office made note of a letter sent last month to Sen. Ron Wyden and Sen. Bernie Sanders that was signed by Yale and University of Pennsylvania scientists. In the letter, they warned that more than 51,000 preventable deaths could occur annually if the legislation was passed in the form in which it had been sent from the House to the Senate. The scientists said that the Republican bill would rank in the top 10 causes of death in the U.S., on a par with kidney disease and liver disease.
