Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
AGENCY TESTIMONY
Potential impact of federal Medicaid cuts on NYC Health + Hospitals
0:07:17
·
3 min
Dr. Katz discusses the severe potential impacts of a bill passed by the U.S. House that could lead to hundreds of millions in cuts to H+H. He outlines various provisions that could harm H+H's funding and patient care.
- Work requirements could result in people losing coverage due to administrative obstacles
- Cuts to federal share of Medicaid could lead to state deficits and reduced funding for H+H
- Potential cuts to trans care and immigrant healthcare funding
Mitchell Katz
0:07:17
I never thought in terms of that we are only one and a half percent of the city's budget.
0:07:22
I think that we do we bring honor to the city for one and a half percent.
0:07:28
But it also tells you a lot about what the challenges will be because most of health and hospitals is not New York City tax levy.
0:07:37
Most of New York City health and hospitals is state and federal revenue that we receive for the services that we provide.
0:07:46
And those revenue sources, as we saw in today's headlines, are very much threatened by the bill that was passed by the House.
0:07:57
Overall, that bill could result in hundreds of millions of dollars.
0:08:01
I mean, has so many different provisions that it is not at all easy to calculate how large smack it will be against health and hospitals.
0:08:13
Because some of the provisions say work requirements which start in 2026.
0:08:21
What has happened in other states like Arkansas that have had that is it doesn't result in more people working.
0:08:29
It just results in more people falling off the roles because it's an obstacle.
0:08:34
It's forms to fill out.
0:08:35
It's not about working, it's about proving that you're working.
0:08:39
And if you do not provide sufficient proof that you are working, you get tossed off.
0:08:45
It also has provisions about decreasing the federal share, so the state would have to pay more toward Medicaid, which will likely result in the state having large deficits, and it's likely that they will therefore have to shrink what we get.
0:09:07
There are shortenings of the enrollment periods.
0:09:12
There are a variety of provisions that will be harmful.
0:09:16
The current law also says that if the state continues to provide funding for immigrant health care, that the federal government will cut the amount that the state receives for others.
0:09:33
There is a cut of Medicaid for trans care, which we proudly provide, and the cut is not just for trans care for children, but trans care for adults as well.
0:09:47
I mean, we you know, this bill is as new as this morning's headlines, but it's getting worse so far.
0:09:55
I think there the we're in a very unusual state, and all I can promise you is that we will work closely with you, with the executive, with the ONB, and we will put our patients first in terms of protecting them.
0:10:15
But there's no way that the system could be the same if we lose hundreds of millions of dollars.
0:10:21
I mean, that's We have to, constrain the system.
0:10:27
There's no other way.
0:10:30
We are very good at producing revenue, but it's 300, 4 hundred, 5 hundred million dollars.
0:10:37
I mean, there's just no way that we could do that without having to have many fewer services.
0:10:44
So I apologize about starting on such a somber note, but I felt it's necessary because in some ways the rest of our plan, which is based on, if you will, yesterday's financing, is very good.
0:10:58
The rest of what I have to present, because it's based on yesterday, we're doing very well.