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Doctors Council Delivers Petition of 2,100 Signatures to
Governor Pataki: Demands Elimination of $1.6B
Medicaid Cuts Including $26M Blow to Coler-Goldwater

New York, NY: Doctors Council delivered an urgent budget message from 2,100 New Yorkers demanding that Governor Pataki eliminate $1.6 billion in proposed cuts to New York State's Medicaid program including cuts to Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) nursing homes and hospitals, with Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital and Nursing Facility on Roosevelt Island being singled out by a crippling $26 million cut. 

"The Governor's Executive Budget for 2004-2005 will be devastating to the city's ability to provide quality health care to the neediest New Yorkers," said Barry Liebowitz, M.D., President of Doctors Council.  "In particular, a $26 million cut to Coler-Goldwater, the largest long-term care facility in New York State will jeopardize the health of nearly 2,000 New Yorkers who depend on the facility every day."  

Governor Pataki has proposed funding cuts and new taxes that would reduce New York City's public hospitals' and nursing homes' budgets by at least  $60 million.  The Governor's proposals include:

• The elimination of enhanced funding for nursing homes with 300 beds or more ("Bed Rate Add-on")
• The elimination of enhanced  funding for nursing homes with hospital beds ("Hospital Based Nursing Home Differential")
• Implementation of a 6% gross receipts tax on nursing homes
• Implementation of a 0.7% gross receipts tax on hospitals and home health agencies that would cost New York City's 11 public hospitals and home health agency $25 million.
• The restriction of eligibility of some low-income New Yorkers to receive health care coverage adding to the burden of the City's public hospitals and health centers that treat people regardless of their ability to pay

The Governor's budget cuts will severely disrupt the public health system in New York City, argued the 2,100 petition signers.  Rather than rewarding the outstanding efficiency demonstrated at Coler-Goldwater and other HHC facilities, the Governor has delivered a debilitating blow to public health facilities in New York City, which will ultimately hurt patient care.  According to the petition, these cuts will:

• Limit access to nursing home care by cutting funds to HHC's four nursing homes.
• Make it harder for the most vulnerable nursing home patients, disabled children, the elderly and SSI recipients to get coverage by cutting Medicaid coverage.
• Eliminate covered services and impose co-pays and fees on low-income families covered by Family Health Plus.
• Roll back gains in extending Medicaid to low-wage working families and immigrants by barring coverage under Family Health Plus when employers will not provide health insurance.

Most of HHC's income is from Medicaid.  Its public hospitals, nursing homes and health centers serve the vast majority of working people whose employers do not provide insurance.  HHC is required by state law to provide healthcare services to New Yorkers regardless of their ability to pay.  More than 1.2 million New Yorkers are treated at HHC hospitals, nursing homes and health centers.  More than 450,000 of those treated have no health insurance.  As a result of the Governor's proposed cuts, HHC will be forced to stretch fewer dollars to cover more people.

Doctors Council, an organization of doctors, by doctors, and for doctors, is the nation's oldest and largest union of attending physicians in the United States, with over 3,700 members in the New York Metropolitan Area including Coler-Goldwater and several other HHC facilities.  On March 1, 1999 Doctors Council affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).  This affiliation resulted in the creation of the National Doctors Alliance, comprised of Doctors Council and another SEIU local, the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR). 
 
The National Doctors Alliance has a membership of over 16,000 members nationwide and its major functions are to address issues of common concern for doctors, and to determine the best and most efficient course of action for organizing new members here and around the country.

       
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