More than 460,000 New Yorkers lost access to their Essential Plan health coverage this month, a low-cost option provided through the Affordable Care Act.
Economic activists said federal social service cuts go deeper than the loss of insurance. They pointed to hospitals and medical centers having to cut their already depleted staff due to potential revenue losses at a time when emergency room visits are expected to rise.
Brahvan Ranga, campaign manager for the group Invest in Our New York, said hospitals serving marginalized communities will bear the brunt of the cuts.
“They get a large proportion of their funding, sometimes up to 80%, from Medicaid and the Essential Plan, because they serve people that are covered by those health insurance plans, which are predominantly those who are already marginalized,” Ranga explained.
As bad as the cuts are now, Ranga noted it is only the beginning. According to the Urban Institute, when Medicaid work requirements go into effect in January, an estimated 900,000 more New Yorkers will lose their health insurance.
Sen. Gustavo Rivera, D-Bronx, introduced legislation to put funding toward keeping people on the Essential Plan, but the bill never passed out of committee.
Ranga said the state must act during the next legislative session.
“What you need to do is raise taxes on the ultra-wealthy and the most profitable corporations,” Ranga contended. “That would allow us to keep everyone on their health insurance. This year, the state didn’t act and because of that, New Yorkers have lost their healthcare, and New Yorkers will die as a result of that.”
Beyond taxing the rich, some feel there are other legislative options state lawmakers can take. One example is the New York Health Act, which would create single-payer universal healthcare. It would also eliminate financial barriers to care by removing monthly premiums, copays and deductibles.
While the bill has been introduced every year since 1991 when it was first brought to the legislature, it has yet to be passed.
Edwin is a reporter and producer in North Tonawanda, New York. He’s previously reported for the Niagara Gazette and the Ithaca Times. Edwin got an early start in radio interning for WBFO-88.7FM, NPR’s Buffalo affiliate. In 2018, he graduated from SUNY Buffalo State College with a B.A. in Journalism, and in 2022, graduated from Syracuse University with an M.S. in Communications.