The One-House Budgets are released! The Senate One-House Budget includes a significant portion of the HCFANY policy agenda, building on the Governor’s proposals in the Executive Budget. We’re still studying what is included in each bill, here’s what we know so far:

Good news: the Senate and Assembly One-House Budgets both:

• Ban cost-sharing for insulin for enrollees in State-regulated health insurance plans
• Improve affordability of Marketplace plans via premium assistance/ cost-sharing subsidies
• Adopt Kids Coverage to ensure children up to age 6 remain continuously covered in Medicaid or Child Health Plus
• Include Coverage4All, using federal funding to cover income-eligible immigrants in the Essential Plan

Even better, the Senate One-House Budget improves on the Governor’s budget by incorporating all of the HFAL improvements in the Ounce of Protection Act, including:

• Expanding Hospital Financial Assistance eligibility to individuals making up to 600 percent FPL
• Banning Hospitals from suing patients making under 600 percent FPL for medical debt
• Incorporating time-limited debt repayment plans so patients who make an agreed upon number of payments don’t have to spend their lives in debt

Bad news: the Assembly Budget completely cuts the Governor’s proposed medical debt reforms.

Take Action: Use the Phone2Action tool to call your legislators.

• Thank your Senators and ask them to fight to keep the Senate One-House Budget consumer health and medical debt reforms in the final budget.
• Ask your Assembly members to tell Assembly leadership to fight medical debt and fix our broken Hospital Financial Assistance Law.

There are lots of opportunities coming up over the next couple of weeks to learn more about health policy priorities and how to take action. Here’s a few of them!

TODAY: Statewide Day of Action for Guaranteed Healthcare (link)

The Campaign for New York Health is holding a day of action for the New York Health Act, which would provide comprehensive health coverage for everyone who lives or works full-time in New York. Look for #PassNYHealth to see what people are saying and join in!

• Learn more about why we need the New York Health Act here.
• If you missed the day of action you can always show your support for the New York Health Act by clicking this link and telling your State Assemblymember and Senator to support the bill. If they already do, the link will give you an opportunity to thank them!

Tomorrow: #Coverage4All Virtual Day of Action

There are 400,000 New Yorkers without insurance because of their immigration status. A1585/S2549 would guarantee that all New Yorkers can access life-saving health coverage if they have had COVID-19. Look for #Coverage4All and #PassA1585 all day tomorrow to help get the word out!

What else can you do?

• Sign up for campaign updates here.
• Become listed as a supporting organization here.
• Contact your legislator any time using the instructions here.

Friday, 11:00-12:00: Budget Briefing for Health Justice Advocates

Join the Campaign for NY Health, the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Association of New York State, Coverage4All, Health Care for All NY, and Medicaid Matters NY for an overview of the FY22 Executive Budget Proposal and its implications for healthcare in New York. Register here.

Friday, February 5 1:00-3:00: HCFANY Annual Meeting

What can we expect from legislative session this year? How do we push forward and ensure quality, affordable health care for everyone in New York State during a pandemic and a budget crisis? Join us to learn more about our legislative and budget priorities for 2021 and how you can take action yourself! Click here to register!

During this virtual meeting we will:

• Award Senator Gustavo Rivera as this year’s Consumer Champion and present a posthumous Lifetime Achievement award to Kristin Sinclair, Director of the Senate Health Committee.
• Share information about the state budget and our legislative priorities, including expanding health coverage to all New Yorkers, ending medical debt, and addressing systemic inequity in our health care system.
• Talk about future workshops that will offer deep dives on different health policy issues and opportunities to take action.

Learn what’s in the HEROES Act from New York’s Congressional leaders and advocates, and find out what you can do get it enacted! The HEROES Act, which already passed the House, would provide much needed pandemic relief and protect the programs, like Medicaid, that are helping people get by during the crisis. Read more here, and register for the virtual rally here. 

Action step – Sign-ons needed by close of business tomorrow:

Sign your organization on to this letter (link) drafted by Citizen Action of New York, Medicaid Matters New York, Health Care For America Now, and HCFANY. The letter thanks Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for their work so far to protect New Yorkers during the pandemic – and describes what New Yorkers need included in an enacted version of the HEROES Act. Add your organization’s name here. 

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Also Coming Up: 

100 Years On: Celebrating and Championing Our Civil Rights and Social Programs

So many of our most important civil rights laws and social programs were created in July and August – the National Labor Relations Act (1935), Social Security (1935), the Civil Rights Act (1964), Medicare and Medicaid (1965), the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990). Join fellow New York advocates to celebrate these achievements and fight for justice! 

• Dessert Party for Democracy: A Multi-Generational Celebration. We will share pictures and videos of everyday people sharing stories and holding signs saying “I celebrate X because…” We will end with a toast and display of your dessert, holding up signs, including all members of your family or household. August 13, 7:00 – 8:00 PM, register here.
• Renewing the American Promise: Defending and Expanding Our Social Contract. Learn more about the civil rights and social programs that everyday New Yorkers benefit from and learn how these programs and laws are at risk.  August 19, 12:00 – 1:00PM, register here.

While Governor Cuomo has been a strong leader in battling COVID-19, his administration still wants to move forward with $2.5 billion in cuts to the Medicaid program. These cuts will harm 6.3 million New Yorkers who need Medicaid for their health care, including children, individuals with disabilities, and seniors.

We are also particularly concerned with his administration’s efforts to change federal disaster relief legislation to obtain the authority to enact these cuts. The damage, should the administration succeed, would extend far beyond New York. 

So we need your help – take action to #ProtectMedicaid today! Here’s how:

1. E-mail your State Senator and Assemblymember’s Albany Office. Your Senator’s e-mail address can be found here, and your Assemblymember’s e-mail address can be found here. (Not sure who represents you? Look up your Senator here and your Assemblymember here!). In your e-mail, say something like: 

• “I am your constituent and I need you to protect Medicaid. We should not cut Medicaid during a public health crisis. Instead of cutting Medicaid we could raise revenues from the ultra-rich. Please consider supporting both things publicly – and please speak to your leadership in the Senate/Assembly and tell them that your constituents are demanding to protect Medicaid and raise revenue.” Add your own stories about why Medicaid is important! 

2. Call Senators Schumer and Gillibrand. Say something like “As your constituent, I want to thank you for providing additional Medicaid funding to New York. We need to keep Medicaid strong during this crisis and prevent states from cutting Medicaid.”

3. Tweet @ Legislative Leaders using the hashtags #NoMedicaidCuts and #ProtectMedicaid

Sample Tweet:   In the face of the #COVID-19 pandemic, New Yorkers need Medicaid now more than ever.  We must #ProtectMedicaid at all costs and urge #NoMedicaidCuts – the lives of New Yorkers are on the line. @CarlHeastie @AndreaSCousins #NoMedicaidCuts #ProtectMedicaid

Sample Tweet:  ATTN: @CarlHeastie @AndreaSCousins Please urge @NYGovCuomo to accept $6.7 billion in federal emergency Medicaid funding and to abandon Medicaid cuts at this critical time! We must preserve the Medicaid Maintenance of Effort to #ProtectMedicaid

Sample Tweet: 6.3 million of New York’s children, seniors, individuals with disabilities and low-income families rely on Medicaid to meet their fundamental healthcare needs. Now – more than ever – we must #ProtectMedicaid to fight #COVID19 and say #NoMedicaidCuts. @CarlHeastie @AndreaSCousins

Thank you for taking action!  During this unprecedented time, ALL New Yorkers need Medicaid’s protections more than ever. Stay healthy and stay strong!