U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling for Congress to reverse federal Medicaid cuts and restore expired Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, warning that nearly 60,000 North Country residents could lose coverage.
Schumer promoted the Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act during a visit to Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake. The entire Senate Democratic caucus has signed on as co-sponsors, according to his office.
The bill would repeal health care reductions enacted last year and permanently restore premium tax credits that expired in December 2025. Schumer's release estimated the federal changes could remove nearly 15 million people from health coverage nationwide and reduce health spending by more than $1 trillion.
The figures and characterizations came from Schumer's office and were not accompanied by a response from congressional Republicans or the Trump administration.
Rural hospital concerns
Adirondack Medical Center serves more than 5,500 Medicaid patients, and Medicaid covers 37% of the population in its service area, according to the release. The hospital supports about 1,100 jobs and generates an estimated $214 million in economic activity.
Schumer cited a Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform analysis that listed the hospital as financially distressed. He argued that reductions in Medicaid reimbursement could force rural hospitals to cut staff or services while treating more uninsured patients.
Nearly 60,000 people in New York's 21st Congressional District are projected to lose Medicaid coverage under the federal changes, Schumer said. He also warned of longer emergency room waits, higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs and reduced access to care.
The senator said a North Country couple could pay an average of $253 more per month without the extended ACA premium tax credits, a larger increase than the statewide average cited in his release.
Counties could face added costs
Schumer said reduced federal support could shift more Medicaid costs to counties and local taxpayers. County officials could face choices about replacing lost funding or reducing other services, he said.
New York state estimates it will lose $13.5 billion because of the federal health care changes, according to the release. Schumer said the effect would extend beyond hospitals to nursing homes, clinics and other providers.
His office pointed to service and staffing reductions announced by health systems in Niskayuna, the Hudson Valley and Buffalo amid uncertainty over Medicaid funding. Those examples included moving outpatient surgery, layoffs and therapy-clinic closures.
The bill's prospects were not detailed in the announcement. Reversing the prior law and restoring the tax credits would require passage by Congress and the president's signature or enough support to override a veto.
Schumer said the first effects are already appearing as providers plan around lower reimbursements and the end of premium assistance. He argued that acting before the reductions are fully implemented could prevent permanent service losses in communities with few alternative providers.
Adirondack Medical Center's role as both a hospital and a major regional employer makes the debate an economic issue as well as a health coverage question. The release did not quantify how much revenue the hospital itself could lose under the federal policy.
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