April 2011 mailing
April is a busy month on so many levels. Monday, April 4th is the next CPHS membership meeting. It will be at the Urban Justice Center, 123 William Street, 16th floor- at 6:30 p.m. We'll be discussing the city and state budgets.
If you've been paying attention, then you'll know that groups are organizing and protesting against Governor Cuomo's proposed budget cuts in education, health care and other social services. People are starting to recognize that these measures are unjust and will be devastating for their communities if they are passed by the State Legislature. Cuomo's Medicaid Redesign Team's actions are no exception. CPHS and the Save Our Safety Net-Campaign have been keeping a close eye on the MRT process and growing increasingly dismayed. As you remember, the Medicaid Redesign Team was given less than 2 months to come up with a package of cost-saving proposals and was supposed to vote on them by March 1st. However, the package of recommendations was voted on 5 days ahead of schedule, on February 24th. The package went up from 49 proposals to 79 proposals overnight and then voted on the next day, at the meeting to review the recommendations. Most of the team did not even know they were going to vote that day or even had time to review or understand this new package. And of course, the public had no opportunity to review, digest and comment on it. After the vote, a press conference had already been scheduled for that same afternoon with the Governor to announce the vote and the package!
It is very likely that deals were made with most, if not all, of the provider members of the MRT. Local 1199 and the Greater New York Hospital Association, jointly the Healthcare Education Project, sat at the table and got what they wanted. They are advertising in support and asking state legislators to vote in support and have extravagant rallies and glossy mailings asking people to call their legislators to support the Governor's Medicaid package. Despite all the glitz, there are proposals in the MRT package that will be disastrous for the most vulnerable communities.
The important thing to know is: some important benefits will be cut or limited; people will pay more out-of-pocket through co-pays, and most people with public insurance coverage will be forced into managed care- even if there is no assurance that their health care
needs will be met. CPHS prepared a chart of the benefits and hurts of the proposals. If you'd like a more thorough understanding of the proposals in the MRT package, contact us for a copy.
The Save Our Safety Net-Campaign (SOS-C) opposes the proposed across the board cuts which will hit safety net providers much harder. One proposal will even make money available to consolidate, merge and close safety-net health providers in medically underserved communities! CPHS and others had recommended to the MRT to revise and correct the allocation of charity care funds so that it follows patients who are uninsured instead of the current totally unaccountable distribution method. Correcting the allocation of charity care funds would help safety-net providers in financial danger, from closing. However, this recommendation was taken off the list. SOS-C is working to get it back on the table and to change proposals that will hurt patients. The GNYHA and 1199 focus on the academic medical centers and large private hospitals. They spend buckets of money every year to advertise, give campaign donations to elected officials and buy their way to the leadership. SOS-C does not have this kind of money.
Such a large task of redesigning Medicaid has to be done right. SOS-C is mobilizing around these positions and we need your support. If you'd like to get involved, you can go to www.soscny.wordpress.com or contact us for more information and updates on our actions. Legislators, media and the general public need to be aware of these issues and how the MRT's decisions will impact our health and lives. Help spread the message! It is time to take a stand and stop being pushed around.
On a brighter note: on April 21st, we will be celebrating CPHS's 20th Anniversary and honoring a remarkable line-up of heroes and sheroes at the Marshall England Memorial Public Health Awards Gala. It will be a magical night of commemorating the people who made and continue to make CPHS's work possible and if you haven't gotten an invite, ask us for one ASAP so you can join the festivities.
Mary Li and Judy Wessler
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*cphs
*Putting the public back in public health
