PEP, April 2005: Saving Medicaid.

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

A broad coalition of labor, religious and health care activists have banded together to fight the drastic health budget cutbacks proposed by Gov. George E. Pataki. The proposed budget threatens the security and effectiveness of the city’s public health care system and would put millions of vulnerable New Yorkers at risk.

“When Governor Pataki puts our New York City public hospitals, some of the finest in the country, at risk by his Medicaid cuts, that is a human rights issue,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts March 2 at a rally in front of Harlem Hospital. “We will fight these cuts, and we will proudly support groups like the Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition in calling for better health care for all.”

Joining her at the rally were Carmen Charles, president of Local 420, Darryl Ramsey, president of Local 768, Ralph Palladino, 2nd vice president of Local 1549, Judith Arroyo, vice president of Local 436, and Rabbi Michael Feinberg, the director of the Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition.

“The fact that some 45 million people in the United States have no affordable health care, including many working people, should compel everyone to take action,” said Rabbi Feinberg.

The March 2 rally kicked off an offensive to stop the cuts that included rallies and petitioning at all 11 of the Health and Hospitals Corp. facilities.

Family Health Plus threatened
According to initial estimates, HHC could lose up to $275 million if the governor’s cuts are approved. Pataki’s proposed budget includes significant benefit reductions, hospital payment cuts and a reduced commitment to mental health services.

Bellevue Hospital Center could lose at least $21.5 million and the Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital and Nursing Facility on Roosevelt Island could lose at least $7.3 million. The largest long-term facility of its kind in the state, Coler-Goldwater provides special services for nearly 1,900 patients daily. In addition, up to 700 jobs could be lost in HHC’s South Manhattan Health Network.

In the Family Health Plus program, entire categories of services would be eliminated — including dental, vision, podiatry, inpatient and outpatient mental health, alcohol and substance abuse, and speech and hearing. Large co-payments would be imposed, eligibility standards not related to income would be increased, and funding for facilitated enrollment would be significantly reduced, creating barriers to service and shifting costs to the public hospital system.

“We also oppose the governor’s proposals to cut more than $17 million in Family Health Plus benefits for low-income patients and slash other vital programs — from physician training and mental health funding to managed care,” said Ms. Roberts.

At the annual Community Advisory Board meeting for the South Manhattan Network on March 11, City Council member Margarita Lopez blasted the proposed cuts. “What the governor is proposing is unbelievable. About 19,000 people would be cut from Health Care Plus and end up back at Bellevue,” she said.

In addition to Gov. Pataki’s Medicaid reductions, President Bush also plans deep cuts. The largest of those will adversely affect Medicaid and city social services. The city could lose some of the $207 million in Community Block Grants, which fund child-care subsidies for the poor, emergency repairs in schools and maintenance of homeless shelters.

State law mandates HHC to provide health care to all New Yorkers regardless of their citizenship status and their ability to pay.

“It seems that every year we are fighting the same battle,” said Local 420 President Charles at the morning meeting. “We will go to Albany again to fight back like we did last year, and we will win.”