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.”