District Council 37 petitions to "Stop the 2005 Medicaid Cuts!"

HHC hospitals and facilities could lose up to $300 million
Cuts of over $17 million to Family Health Plus and other programs will hurt the neediest

District Council 37, the city's largest public employee union, today capped a weeklong public outreach campaign to reverse Governor Pataki's proposed 2005 Medicaid cuts. The governor's draconian cuts would eliminate up to $300 million in resources to Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) hospitals and facilities. Members of DC 37 and other city hospital unions leafleted at 12 HHC hospitals and facilities as part of "Health Care Action Week."

"DC 37 members fought hard to save public hospitals when the city wanted to sell them. They have worked hard to help HHC achieve its current excellence in patient care," said Lillian Roberts, Executive Director of DC 37. "Now we're speaking up again to stop proposed Medicaid cuts that threaten to undo the gains that city hospitals and facilities have made in providing state-of-the-art health care to those most in need."

"Public hospitals and facilities are essential for so many patients—children, the elderly, the disabled, the uninsured—as well as their families and their communities. Yet each and every HHC hospital could lose millions of patient-care dollars if the 2005 Medicaid cuts go through. That is why DC 37 members reached out to the public March 7 to 11 and urged them to get involved and help us stop these dangerous cutbacks.

"We also oppose Governor Pataki's proposals to cut more than $17 million in Family Health Plus (FHP) benefits for low-income patients and slash other vital programs—from physician training and mental health funding to managed care," Ms. Roberts stated. "Our members have worked long and hard to enroll uninsured families in FHP so they could have necessary health care coverage. Now the Governor wants to undo this progress and shortchange other programs, too. We urge the public to join us in fighting the governor's proposed cutbacks.

"HHC resources are already stretched to the limit," Ms. Roberts said, "The Governor's proposed cuts will undermine the progress made at hospitals and facilities that have been rated as among the best in the nation. That's why we say 'No' to Pataki's ill-conceived proposals, which will do great harm to the uninsured, senior citizens, sick children, and the physically and mentally disabled."

DC 37 is asking the public to sign petitions against the cutbacks; send a postcard to Governor Pataki saying, 'Stop the 2005 Medicaid Cuts'; and visit and call elected officials to tell them to stand up for our public hospitals and facilities and program, and fight these cuts.

Background: In recent years, HHC facilities have consistently exceeded the average accreditation scores of all hospitals in New York City. More than 1 million New Yorkers are treated at HHC hospitals and facilities each year The Governor's 2005 Medicaid proposal cuts would eliminate up to $300 million in vital resources for HHC hospitals and facilities, and cut more than $17 million from Family Health Plus benefits and other vital programs.