HCFANY is grateful to have had the opportunity to testify at the 2024 Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on Health. Our detailed written comments are linked here. The Executive Budget includes many positive proposals that will help protect consumers from medical debt and enhance their ability to access affordable health coverage, including:

• Modernizing the State’s Hospital Financial Assistance Law
• Eliminating all cost-sharing for insulin for New York State-regulated plans
• Guaranteeing continuous health coverage for children up to 6 years of age
• Improving subsidies and benefits for public health coverage
• Informed consent for payment reform
• Banning hospitals from suing patients with incomes below 400% of the federal poverty level

In addition to addressing these important reforms in the FY25 Budget, HCFANY also urges the Legislature to provide additional funding to ensure more New Yorkers can enroll in, and use their coverage, including:

• Expanding Hospital Financial Assistance to 600% of the federal poverty level and incorporating time-limited debt repayment plans as would occur if the Ounce of Prevention Act (S1366B/A6027A) were enacted
• Prohibiting state-operated hospitals from suing patients for medical debt by adopting the provisions of the Stop Suny Suing Bill (A8170/S7778)
• Ensuring coverage for low-income immigrants with Section 1332 Waiver surplus pass-through funding
• Funding Community Health Advocates at $5.5 million
• Enhancing outreach funding for Navigators