They demand the state stop health cuts and invest more in Medicaid to avoid hospital closings in NY

hundreds of workers hospital area To demand health and wellness throughout the Big Apple and New York State – on Thursday, February 22 – they skipped their lunch and demonstrated together in different counties instead of eating. Hochul Administration And to state legislatures, that instead of cutting funding for medical care like Medicaid, they ensure more resources that guarantee well-being for all communities.

Nurses, care aides and doctors emphasized that across New York, although more than 7 million New Yorkers rely on Medicaid for their health insurance, including half of children and people with disabilities, New York only supports doctors and providers. reimburses. 30% less than the actual cost of care, Due to which the operation of hospital centers is affected. It also called for helping institutions eliminate deficits that have stretched hospitals and nursing homes to the financial limit, especially in low-income communities with high Medicaid enrollment.

During the day of protest, he emphasized that due to lack of support, hospitals like Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Eastern Niagara, OBH Kingsbrook and SUNY DownstateThe consequences have suffered, and inequities in Medicaid reimbursement exacerbate disparities in health care, with people of color twice as likely to receive Medicaid, where only 70 cents on the dollar is financed for their care.

shadowy blue, Senior Patient Access Representative Wyckoff Heights Medical CenterIn this brooklyn countycalled on the State President not to leave behind those most in need and to understand that without adequate investment, medical care for vulnerable communities will be negatively impacted.

“I have lived and worked in this community for years and know how invaluable safety net hospitals are. “We need to make sure our community has the resources to survive, but our hospital continues to struggle with inadequate Medicaid funding from the state,” the worker said.

David Kleczkowski, primary caregiver, Declared itself very concerned and said that a plan to cut the fund by more than $1 billion instead of devoting more resources to closing the Medicaid funding gap would not solve the problem. health care crisis In the state.

“My colleagues and I are here to remind Governor Hochul and the Legislature that our hospitals and nursing homes are struggling and this is having a profound impact on the delivery of care,” the nurse said. “It makes no sense to us because the state has a reserve fund of $40 billion. The Legislature must prioritize New Yorkers’ health care and restore funding in the budget. Is anything more important than the health and safety of our communities?”

Protesters also noted that half of New York’s hospitals reported that they had reduced and/or eliminated health services due to staffing shortages and that women covered by Medicaid were underrepresented. 61% of deaths in 2018 are linked to pregnancyAccording to the data of New York Health Department for 2022, which is very worrying.

“Our community cannot travel to the big city and we need more community hospitals. Without Medicaid funding, this will not happen as smaller hospitals are closing and cannot stay open. “They don’t have the money to finance the facilities,” he said. Ward of, Joe works at Orleans Community Health in Medina, New York. “I don’t want to see our small hospital closed; “This is needed in our community.”

At the time of going to press, the Hochul administration had not mentioned the claims and demonstrations.