Health Care for All New York (HCFANY) is a statewide coalition of over 170 consumer-focused organizations dedicated to achieving quality, affordable health coverage for all New Yorkers, and ensuring that the concerns of real New Yorkers are heard and reflected in policy conversations.

HCFANY commends Governor Cuomo for including three important health care initiatives in the 2020 State of the State. The first measure would help address the ever-escalating costs of prescription drugs by: capping monthly co-payments at $100 per month for insured patients who have diabetes; increasing public accountability and government enforcement of out-of-control prescription drug price hikes; and the establishment of a commission to explore the importation of lower cost drugs from Canada. The second measure is to establish a consumer-friendly health care transparency website where patients can compare health care costs and quality. The third measure would cut the statute of limitations for providers to sue their patients from six to three years and improve the state’s Surprise Bill law. HCFANY applauds the Governor’s steps to call attention to these issues and looks forward to reviewing these proposals.

HCFANY is disappointed, however, that the Administration did not take this important moment to address health care costs and affordability more squarely and urges it to do so in the upcoming Budget. Specifically, HCFANY urges Governor Cuomo to follow California’s lead and address the need to provide health coverage for our immigrant residents, who face increasing attacks at the federal level (S.3900/A.5974).  In addition, HFCANY urges the Governor to make health care more affordable through the New York State of Health Marketplace by establishing a state premium assistance program.  Finally, HCFANY asks the Governor to protect patients from medical debt by adopting proposals in the Patient Medical Debt Protection Act (S.6757/A.8639) including: simplifying medical billing, curbing hospital collection abuses, closing the misinformation loophole in our Surprise Bill law, and simplifying the State Hospital Financial Assistance Law. 

These measures are needed now more than ever because of immigration and affordability barriers to healthcare as well as spiking insurance premiums, deductibles and co-pays.  More than a third of New Yorkers are dealing with serious financial repercussions because of medical bills, including racking up credit card debt, using up their savings, or being put into collections. A third of consumers report paying medical bills they did not owe because they did not know how to fight them.  New Yorkers deserve coverage expansions and medical debt protections and this is the Legislative Session to achieve them.