Gov. Paterson, Mayor Bloomberg and other NY pols: Health care bill is prescription for disaster
*period*
The New York Daily News
December 22nd 2009
The Senate health reform bill is packed with lumps of coal for New
York's Christmas stocking.
Gov. Paterson, Mayor Bloomberg and other officials warned the Senate
plan would:
- Force the city to close 100 health clinics.
- Blow a $1 billion hole in the state's budget.
- Threaten struggling hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities.
"It is really a disgrace and we've got to make sure that we fight
before the bill is finally passed," Bloomberg fumed.
New York ended up on the short end as Senate brokers showered cash on
states whose senators were among the last holdouts before Democratic
leaders locked up the 60 needed votes.
New York's best hope now is emergency surgery to undo the shafting
before the bill becomes final.
A health care overhaul passed by the House last month is more generous
to the city and state, and negotiations over the differences start in
January.
Under the Senate plan, the biggest rewards go the states that, unlike
New York, have been Scrooges to the poor in need of medical care.
"We are in a sense being punished for our own charity," Paterson said
Monday.
Paterson was also bitter that states like Massachusetts and Vermont,
which were also generous, got last-minute deals that erase their extra
costs.
But even more galling is that a place like Nebraska will have the feds
pick up 100% of its Medicaid costs, while New York will continue to
cover half on its own.
The bonanza for the Cornhusker State was part of the price to get the
60th vote, conservative Democrat Ben Nelson.
One of the biggest whacks the state faces is a $5.5 billion cut over
10 years in federal help taking care of sick people who can't pay.
Bloomberg believes that part of the Senate bill would cost the city
$540 million.
"It would require us to close all of the 100 health clinics and a
bunch of the ambulatory care things that we provide, overnight, cause
the money would disappear," he said.
"We've already had some 40 nursing homes and 23 hospitals close in New
York State in four years," said Dan Sisto, head of the Health Care
Association of New York State.
New York House members have begun to map their push to undo the
damage, starting with a letter to the Democratic leadership.
"New Yorkers will more than pay their share for increasing health
coverage around the country," says the letter, which Bronx Rep. Eliot
Engel wrote and expects to send today, signed by 24 members. "Yet New
York will receive far less than the national average in federal
relief."
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), one of the key architects of the Senate
bill, insists that on balance, New York will do well.
"The Senate bill is good for New York in ways that the House bill
isn't," said Schumer spokesman Brian Fallon.
He noted that Medicare Advantage funding - cut for most states - is
preserved for 800,000 New York patients, and the state would get more
generous support for its children's health insurance program.
Schumer also helped prevent $3 billion in cuts that were proposed for
the state's teaching hospitals, most of which are in New York City.
"The House bill is better in some ways," he admitted. But Fallon said
Schumer pledges to try to fix what ails the Senate version when both
chambers hold a conference. "We will try to get the best out of both
bills for New York."
Paterson's budget aides say the House bill would actually save the
state roughly $4 billion a year.
But some insiders have hinted the House may have to accept much of the
Senate's bill to keep the fragile coalition still working to pass it
from fracturing.
can...@cdn.ca
could ever happen in the u.s. we've had universal health care for 60
years and i can't imagine being without it. my uncle was hospitalized
last year and it cost him nothing for a four month stay and complete care
and he is 76. no death panels - that is just the fear-mongers trying to
shake up the undecided people. in the u.s., all our families would have
gone broke trying to pay his medical bill. thank your lucky stars obama
has been so adamant in getting this through the house and senate and you
should pray that it passes successfully. this will improve your lives,
not just financially but health-wise, immensely. my american friends have
always envied our canadian health care coverage.