QUESTION
How is funding allocated for sickle cell services in the fiscal 2025 budget?
0:52:55
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123 sec
New York City Health and Hospitals (H+H) officials state they do not budget for specific diseases but can estimate spending on sickle cell care based on patient data.
- NYC Health and Hospitals officials explain they do not allocate budget for specific diseases, making it challenging to provide an exact figure for sickle cell services.
- They propose analyzing patient data to estimate the spending on sickle cell care, acknowledging the complexity due to patients' comorbidities.
- Officials highlight their budgeting approach focuses on filling care gaps as needed, rather than by specific disease, to meet all patient needs.
- Council Member Mercedes Narcisse emphasizes the historical neglect of sickle cell disease, particularly in black communities, highlighting the importance of addressing it.
Mercedes Narcisse
0:52:55
How much funding in is in the h and h fiscal 2025 budget for sickle cell service
Mitch Katz
0:53:01
Well, I guess a different way that we could go back and look at it is, while we don't budget for any specific disease, it might be possible for us to look at our patient population with sickle cell and answer the question of how much we've spent.
John Ulberg
0:53:19
Yes.
0:53:19
I would say that we can do that.
0:53:21
And as Doctor.
0:53:22
Katz mentioned, and many of our patients have comorbidity, so it's not just sickle cell.
0:53:28
It's coupled with something else.
0:53:29
But we've been asked this question before.
0:53:31
It's been asked by the council as it relates to behavioral health, and we we can take our best shot at developing a number, but you do have to understand.
0:53:38
We we don't budget that way, but we can dig into the data and come up with our best estimate.
Mitch Katz
0:53:43
And and if you or other members of city council or other people in the city family recognize holes, where in our care, we should we will fill those holes.
0:53:55
And that's why we don't budget by specific disease because we see ourselves as needing to fill whatever there is in terms of need of our patients.
0:54:05
So if we need more of, you know, nurse educators over here or we need more psychologists over there, that should be our job to meet the need of our patients, whatever they have.
Mercedes Narcisse
0:54:19
Well, I do understand that cats, but sickle cell disease, I've not really addressing New York City the way it's supposed to be for many, many, many decades.
0:54:30
And it's mostly black communities, and people are really suffering.
0:54:36
When the crisis hit, I used to work in a year, and I know how it looks like I have 2 nieces with sickle cell disease, and I'm a sickle cell treat.
0:54:44
My daughter is a sickle cell treat.
0:54:47
It's very important.
0:54:47
I I understand we have to take care of everyone, but this one has been neglected for far too long.
0:54:53
Understood.
0:54:54
The bill will go into effects 1 year after it has been signed into law.