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Q&A
Contingency planning for potential Medicaid cuts and their impact on H+H facilities
1:16:00
·
156 sec
Council Member Restler presses Dr. Katz on contingency planning for potential Medicaid cuts and their specific impacts on Health + Hospitals facilities. Dr. Katz explains the challenges in detailed planning without knowing the final cut amounts.
- H+H is currently focused on advocacy efforts against the bill
- Exact impacts are difficult to determine due to uncertainty about state-level decisions
- Restler emphasizes the importance of understanding potential impacts on specific hospitals and service areas
Lincoln Restler
1:16:00
And what could you describe the impacts to health and hospitals directly?
1:16:04
Last time you were here with chair Narcisse, we asked about our hospital closures on the table, and you said you didn't believe so, but that you might need to close service areas.
1:16:14
Have you started specific contingency planning for what service areas would be lost if this horrific, draconian, devastating, catastrophic legislation actually gets signed into law by President Trump?
Mitchell Katz
1:16:28
So so far, you know, most of our effort, we've been on advocacy.
1:16:33
Right?
1:16:33
We've been putting working twenty four hours, seven days a week, trying to convince people to oppose the bill.
1:16:39
And that seems like the right thing for this moment.
1:16:43
I think whatever the final bill is, John will be in charge of figuring out what is the cut to us.
1:16:52
And part of what's going to be difficult is that it's going to be a secondary answer because it's going to depend on how much of the cut to the state does the state absorb versus push down.
1:17:05
Right.
1:17:05
So we won't know even when the bill is passed.
Mercedes Narcisse
1:17:08
Right.
Mitchell Katz
1:17:08
I won't know the number because I won't know how the state will deal with it.
Lincoln Restler
1:17:13
Right.
1:17:13
The state could cut billions of dollars for education and public safety and public health and all of these other areas that might protect that Medicaid and essential plan funding, but it will be devastating to our communities in lots of other ways.
1:17:24
So there's a series of horrific choices that we have before us if this bill comes to fruition.
1:17:28
Absolutely.
1:17:29
But I do so so you think it's too early to contingency plan and understand at Coney Island Hospital, at North Central Bronx, at Woodhall, what are the direct impacts?
1:17:38
You look at the at the hospitals with low occupancy rates on the inpatient side.
1:17:42
You look at hospitals that have service lines, that have low utilization, or that are costing you more than than are generating revenue.
1:17:48
You're looking at all of this stuff.
1:17:50
Are you able to to paint a picture for just what this means for New York City?
1:17:56
And I'm not I don't you said this isn't I'm not being an alarmist.
Mitchell Katz
1:17:59
I agree.
Lincoln Restler
1:17:59
I'm I'm being total I mean, this is just this is the very tragic reality that we are hurdling toward.
1:18:06
It's important for New Yorkers to understand what the impacts are.
1:18:09
Right.
1:18:09
These are not imaginary things.
1:18:11
These are cuts that are going to lead to more people suffering and dying, and we should understand it.
1:18:18
Right?
1:18:18
So is there could you give us any I'm I'm I'm pushing you on this because I think it's important for New Yorkers to know this will have direct impacts at Harlem Hospital, at Woodhall Hospital, in our communities.
1:18:30
Can you lay out for us, or are you do you have a timeline for when you can lay out for us what that horrific contingency planning does look like?