Effect of Federal Cuts on Local Health Care Focus of WMCHealth Legislative Breakfast

BCW Member WMCHealth hosted its Annual Legislative Breakfast on Tuesday featuring twenty government officials from federal, state, county and local levels. The focus was on ensuring that access to care continues to be at the forefront of the national, state and regional health care conversation, while noting that WMCHealth plays a vital role as a safety net and community hospital system that provides care to the most vulnerable residents across the entire region.

WMCHealth, headquartered in Valhalla, operates nine hospitals on seven campuses in the Hudson Valley. It has nearly 3,000 attending physicians and employs about 12,000 people.

Those attending included: Congressmen George Latimer and Mike Lawler; State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins; State Sen. Shelley Mayer; State Sen. Peter Harckham; State Sen. Nathalia Fernandez; State Sen. Rob Rolison; State Sen. Bill Weber; State Assembly Members Amy Paulin, Gary Pretlow, Steve Otis, Dana Levenberg, Chris Burdick and Aron Wieder, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins; Vedat Gashi, chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators; County Legislators Jewel Williams and Emiljana Ulaj; City of White Plains Mayor Tom Roach; and Village of New Square Mayor Izzy Spitzer.

“Most of the discussion centered around concern over the recently passed federal legislation that will cut federal funding to health care institutions and individuals,” Otis said. “While the details are still being assessed, current estimates are that 1.5 million New Yorkers are likely to lose (health care) coverage, and health care providers will suffer large reductions in essential federal funding.”

Harckham commented. “The road ahead won’t be easy,” while emphasizing a commitment to ensure that all New Yorkers receive the health care they need.

Latimer said, “We discussed the impact of the devastating Medicaid cuts included in the Big Ugly Bill (the Trump tax cut and spending bill). WMC treats patients whether they are covered or not. With the federal government cutting funding, it is not clear whether or how much funding WMC will receive to cover the cost of required care. This will affect all patients, not just Medicaid recipients. Just one more way this law will hurt our community.”