Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
REMARKS
Council Member Schulman's remarks on the preconsidered resolution for Article 6 public health funding restoration
0:00:28
ยท
3 min
Council Member Lynn C. Schulman, chair of the New York City Council's Committee on Health, introduces and explains the importance of a preconsidered resolution calling for the restoration of Article 6 public health funding for New York City. She details the impact of previous funding cuts and urges the passage of Assembly Bill 2705 and Senate Bill 4801 to restore the reimbursement rate to at least 36%.
- Schulman highlights that the funding cuts have disproportionately affected communities of color, low-income families, and Medicaid recipients in New York City.
- She emphasizes the critical nature of restoring this funding, especially given the uncertainty of federal public health funding.
- Schulman concludes by thanking Speaker Adams, committee staff, and her team for their support and work on this issue.
Lynn C. Schulman
0:00:28
Good morning, everyone.
0:00:29
I am council member Lynn Schulman, chair of the New York City Council's Committee on Health.
0:00:34
Thank all of you for joining us for today's vote on a proposed preconsidered resolution sponsored by me calling on the New York State Legislature to pass and the governor to sign Assembly Bill twenty seven zero five and Senate Bill forty eight zero one relating to the amount of state aid reimbursement for public health services by a municipality in the City Of New York when the municipality is providing some or all of certain identified core public health services otherwise known as article six public health funding.
0:01:02
The resolution we are voting on today calls for the immediate restoration of state public health law article six public health funding for New York City.
0:01:11
In 02/2019, New York State reduced the reimbursement rate for New York City by 16% from 36% down to 20% and this cut has yet to be reversed.
0:01:21
The loss of funding resulting from the reduced reimbursement rate has led directly to a loss of funding for essential on the ground community health programs including family and reproductive health care, communicable disease control, chronic disease prevention, community health assessments, and emergency preparedness.
0:01:39
During discussion of my resolution at the committee's February 19 oversight hearing, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene testified that New York City loses out on upwards of $90,000,000 per year in state public health funding due to these cuts.
0:01:54
New York City was the only jurisdiction in the state that suffered these cuts, worsening existing inequities in our health system and disproportionately impacting communities of color and families with low incomes.
0:02:05
Per DOHMH, New York City is home to the largest portion of Medicaid recipients in the state of New York.
0:02:11
These cuts disproportionately hurt our most vulnerable communities, but the solution is here right in front of us.
0:02:17
Assembly bill twenty seven zero five introduced by assembly member Jessica Gonzalez Rojas and senate bill forty eight zero one by senator Gustavo Rivera would restore the reimbursement rate to no less than 36% ensuring the full restoration of these programs and helping DOHMH and our city partners to build a healthier NY New York City.
0:02:38
It is crucial that the state advance this life saving legislation as soon as possible which will restore millions of dollars for critically needed health services.
0:02:47
These cuts impact those who who are the most vulnerable, in need of health care, and are totally unnecessary.
0:02:53
Given the current uncertainty of our federal public health funding, the issue of state article six funding is of the utmost importance.
0:03:00
The legislature and the governor must act now to ensure that New York City residents receive equal access to the care they need.
0:03:07
As chair of the health committee, I've advocated and will continue to advocate for restoration of article six funding.
0:03:13
I look forward to working with our state partners to pass this urgently needed legislation.
0:03:17
I wanna conclude by thanking speaker Adams for her support in prioritizing this issue.
0:03:22
I also wanna thank the committee staff for their work.
0:03:24
Committee councils Chris Pepe and Sara Suchar, policy analyst Joshua Newman, and the finance staff, Danielle Heifetz and Florentine Kabur, as well as my team, Jonathan Boucher, Kevin McAleer, and Abigail Zucker.
0:03:36
I now turn it over to the clerk to call the roll.