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Advocacy efforts and potential service adjustments in response to Medicaid cuts
0:23:02
·
176 sec
Dr. Mitchell Katz outlines H+H's approach to addressing potential federal Medicaid cuts, focusing on advocacy efforts and preliminary planning for service adjustments.
- H+H is prioritizing advocacy, working with Congress to highlight the impact of cuts on Medicaid recipients and healthcare providers
- Initial planning includes looking at administrative decreases while being cautious about maintaining operational efficiency
- If major cuts occur, H+H would need to constrain services, prioritizing essential services over less critical ones
- Dr. Katz anticipates that the state may push out most of its cuts rather than use surplus funds
- The impact would extend beyond government facilities to multiple safety net hospitals in New York City
Mitchell Katz
0:23:02
I mean, most of what we've been working with them on is advocacy, for members of Congress pointing out how many Medicaid recipients there are in their area.
0:23:15
I told you a lot about health and hospitals, but there will be similar problems with other safety net hospitals because they too will get significantly less money and we know how important hospitals are to communities.
0:23:29
So, so far we've been trying to put most of our effort into advocacy.
0:23:34
Into trying to make people understand.
0:23:38
I mean I think one of the fundamental things people miss is that the money for Medicaid doesn't go to the recipient.
0:23:47
The money goes to hospitals, to doctors.
0:23:53
And right, so we're trying to build up a constituency to oppose it.
0:23:59
You know, if, again, if these rather major cuts happen, I have started already looking at administrative decreases.
0:24:10
How we would have less administration.
0:24:15
You have to be careful because some parts of administration make your operation run better.
0:24:20
But part of focusing on patients is saying, you know, they come first, so what are the things that you're going to do?
0:24:29
But I think the approach would have to be a constraining of services.
0:24:35
You'd have to look at all, we would have to, with you and others, look at all of the services we're providing and then figure out which are the ones that are more essential than others.
0:24:47
Keep doing the ones that are most essential.
0:24:50
Stop doing the ones that we believe in but are not as essential.
0:24:54
And hope that in a few years the world changes and we have additional dollars and grow it back.
0:25:02
I don't think there's any magic that's going to and I expect that the state will push out most of its cuts.
0:25:14
That is to say that they won't use their surplus because generally
Justin L. Brannan
0:25:21
you
Mitchell Katz
0:25:21
don't use surplus for one time.
0:25:23
As the budget chair, you know that.
0:25:25
And I think they'll view these as ongoing cuts.
0:25:30
And they could easily across and again, it won't just be government.
0:25:35
I mean the state keeps open multiple safety net hospitals in New York City with large annual subsidies.
0:25:45
So I think there's gonna be a lot of hurt all around.
Justin L. Brannan
0:25:50
Okay.
0:25:50
I'm gonna turn it over to sorry.
0:25:52
We've also been joined by councilmembers Williams Hudson and Mamorato.
0:25:55
I'm gonna turn it over to chair Narcisse.
0:25:57
Thank you, doc, and your team.