2004 - 2005 New York State Budget
Although the country’s economy is finally improving, state budgets
are not. So far, 2004 has brought no relief from the fiscal crises
that plagued state governments last year. In response to New York’s
budgetary deficit, Governor George Pataki proposed an Executive Budget
that will cut more than $1.45 billion from health care, including
direct cuts to Medicaid. The New York City health care system alone
would lose over $875 million. These cuts are consistent with the recommendations
of the New York Senate Medicaid Reform Task Force report released
in 2003.
The Governor’s proposed budget and the Senate’s report
both make it clear that the cost of Medicaid is reaching crisis
levels. Some of the proposals put out by the Governor and the Senate
make a lot of fiscal sense. For example, CFH supports moving seniors
and people with disabilities from institutions into community settings,
a shift that would save money and improve the quality of health
care services. Unfortunately, also proposed are hard-hitting cuts
that, if enacted, will impose a severe burden on Medicaid beneficiaries.
CFH continues to work with Medicaid Matters New York (MMNY) to
send lawmakers the message that cuts to Medicaid will put millions
of individuals in harm’s way and weaken New York’s health
care infrastructure. There is a better way to save money and improve
the Medicaid program, as MMNY has outlined in their most recent
report Finding
A Better Way.
Last year, the Assembly Democrats and their Senate colleagues developed
a humane alternative budget that prevented painful Medicaid cuts.
Even though the Governor vetoed that budget, legislators stood their
ground and, for the first time since 1982, overrode all the gubernatorial
vetoes of the state budget, restoring $1.3 billion in spending and
increasing the state's income and sales taxes. We look forward to
the same support from our state legislators this year and hope to
work with them to preserve our incredible and necessary health care
programs.
Public commitment to the preservation of New York’s
health care programs is very important. Call Doug Berman for information
on how you can support health care advocates in their fight to protect
our health care system.
Doug Berman
Director of Policy
(212) 366-4459
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