2017-01-04

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Press Office. January 4, 2017:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the impact of potential repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on health care coverage of New Yorkers and the state budget.

If the repeal of the Affordable Care Act were enacted, an estimated 2.7 million New Yorkers would lose coverage and New York State would experience a direct state budget impact of $3.7 billion and a loss of nearly $600 million of federal funding that goes directly to counties, which they use to help lower property taxes.

“The cost of a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, to state and local budgets and to the New Yorkers who depend on its health care coverage, is simply too high to justify,” Governor Cuomo said.

“Since its implementation, the Affordable Care Act has become a powerful tool to lower the cost of health insurance for local governments and New Yorkers, and it is essential that the federal government does not jeopardize the health and livelihoods of millions of working families.”

The NY State of Health exchange has successfully cut the percentage of uninsured New Yorkers in half, from 10 percent to 5 percent.

It has also significantly expanded eligibility and access to health coverage, allowing hundreds of thousands of previously uninsured New Yorkers to achieve economic and healthcare security.

Based on current enrollment levels, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act would result in over 2.7 million New Yorkers losing health coverage. The estimated number of individuals at risk of losing coverage, based on current enrollment levels, is broken down by counties below:

County

Individuals at Risk of Losing Coverage

Albany

25,552

Allegany

4,608

Bronx

300,012

Broome

20,231

Cattaraugus

8,310

Cayuga

7,665

Chautauqua

15,270

Chemung

9,160

Chenango

5,184

Clinton

7,787

Columbia

6,827

Cortland

4,606

Delaware

4,461

Dutchess

25,074

Erie

93,403

Essex

3,660

Franklin

5,110

Fulton

6,038

Genesee

5,074

Greene

4,971

Hamilton

522

Herkimer

6,932

Jefferson

10,955

Kings

540,320

Lewis

2,932

Livingston

4,972

Madison

5,861

Monroe

75,512

Montgomery

5,473

Nassau

133,324

New York

218,937

Niagara

21,287

Oneida

24,781

Onondaga

45,682

Ontario

9,355

Orange

37,851

Orleans

4,522

Oswego

12,568

Otsego

5,785

Putnam

7,006

Queens

493,058

Rensselaer

12,540

Richmond

56,882

Rockland

38,526

Saratoga

16,340

Schenectady

16,056

Schoharie

3,079

Schuyler

2,065

Seneca

3,145

St. Lawrence

11,063

Steuben

10,039

Suffolk

152,631

Sullivan

9,668

Tioga

4,560

Tompkins

7,827

Ulster

19,850

Warren

6,796

Washington

6,689

Wayne

9,354

Westchester

91,844

Wyoming

3,700

Yates

2,515

Total

2,715,807

The estimated direct state budget impact of the repeal is $3.7 billion. New York’s counties have been able to use the additional federal Medicaid funding through the Affordable Care Act, which goes to directly to counties and helps to lower property taxes.

A repeal of the Affordable Care Act would result in a total loss of $595 million in funding. A county by county breakdown of the allocated annual funding that each county would lose is available below, based on the most recent year:

County

2016-17 Funding

Albany

$4,738,862

Allegany

$786,300

Broome

$3,049,122

Cattaraugus

$1,211,333

Cayuga

$1,098,606

Chautauqua

$2,443,709

Chemung

$1,491,573

Chenango

$686,373

Clinton

$1,292,531

Columbia

$833,957

Cortland

$786,023

Delaware

$666,830

Dutchess

$2,974,044

Erie

$17,149,148

Essex

$400,176

Franklin

$681,442

Fulton

$879,897

Genesee

$691,774

Greene

$832,298

Hamilton

$68,800

Herkimer

$956,261

Jefferson

$1,601,068

Lewis

$294,378

Livingston

$686,242

Madison

$842,891

Monroe

$13,023,431

Montgomery

$797,695

Nassau

$17,866,829

Niagara

$3,849,704

Oneida

$4,169,425

Onondaga

$7,871,592

Ontario

$1,042,122

Orange

$5,021,173

Orleans

$667,917

Oswego

$2,281,144

Otsego

$729,112

Putnam

$561,094

Rensselaer

$2,307,076

Rockland

$3,867,080

St. Lawrence

$1,564,073

Saratoga

$1,864,638

Schenectady

$2,462,377

Schoharie

$475,760

Schuyler

$312,126

Seneca

$369,493

Steuben

$1,514,370

Suffolk

$18,310,813

Sullivan

$1,439,822

Tioga

$589,433

Tompkins

$1,015,126

Ulster

$2,935,566

Warren

$787,632

Washington

$746,252

Wayne

$910,595

Westchester

$15,243,258

Wyoming

$382,781

Yates

$282,426

Upstate Total

$162,405,572

New York City Total

$433,294,428

New York State Total

$595,700,000

George Gresham, President, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, said, “New York’s healthcare workers see the positive impact of the Affordable Care Act every day. Our patients are able to access preventative care instead of coming to emergency rooms in states of advanced illness.

Our employers have reduced losses from uncompensated care. Our friends and relatives are relieved of the fear that getting sick equals financial ruin.

Repealing the Affordable Care Act without an adequate replacement would have immediate and devastating consequences for millions of our fellow New Yorkers and for state and local budgets. We applaud Governor Cuomo’s leadership in educating New Yorkers about costs and are proud to stand with him to advocate for the health all New Yorkers,”

Greater New York Hospital Association President Kenneth E. Raske said,

“These deeply troubling numbers are only the tip of the iceberg if the Affordable Care Act is repealed. It will also severely harm the hospital community. 27 hospitals across New York State are on a ‘watch list’ for financial stress and many more both public and private face similar fiscal challenges.

Repealing the Affordable Care Act without an immediate and adequate replacement plan will make things dramatically worse for safety net hospitals and the vulnerable communities they serve. I applaud Governor Cuomo for his leadership and look forward to working with the bipartisan members of the New York Congressional delegation to ensure that the health care of all New Yorkers is protected.”

Bea Grause, President of the Healthcare Association of New York, said,

“In addition to providing care to those in need, hospitals are major employers in communities all across the state. Repeal of the ACA could have tremendous consequences for the delivery of healthcare and also in terms of jobs and economic activity. It’s imperative that Congress be mindful of this reality. I’m pleased to join the Governor in this important effort to protect New Yorkers.”

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