Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers, along with local and state elected officials are saying there's not enough healthcare funding in the tentative state budget.
The rallying cry came only hours after New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a 'conceptual deal' between Albany legislative leaders and her administration on a budget plan.
"Healthcare in Western New York is in crisis," said Todd Hobler, Executive Vice President for Upstate and Western New York's 1199SEIU. "The Medicaid rates that fund our nursing homes and hospitals are inadequate and have been inadequate for a long time. Our facilities, our nursing homes, and our hospitals are struggling to recruit and retain staff to provide quality care as best they can."
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"The state seems not to be making health care a priority. The tentative budget that was announced last night by the governor is inadequate to address the health care needs of our community, our nursing homes and our hospitals. The state needs to do better," Hobler adds.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz participated in the rally and said more than $2 billion is spent annually with Medicaid in the county, being spent predominantly for end of life care. That number increases every year.
"What we haven't seen is the applicable increases in the salaries of the individuals who are providing the services for those individuals who are on Medicaid and need that additional service," said Poloncarz. "We in Erie County see what New York State is doing. We've been the recipient unfortunately, of a major cut with regards to additional dollars that are provided to Erie County to help pay for our Medicaid programs. We've been fighting for that."
"Senator Tim Kennedy has been leading the fight for the 20% reimbursement rate and says it's has been a priority for him," said Kennedy's Chief of Staff, Adam Fogel. "In this budget. We've seen the announcement about what these rates look like they are going to be which is very disappointing. My message today from the Senator is the fight is not over. We cannot stop, we cannot settle the workers that SEIU represents deserve better, they deserve more. And we're going to continue to fight to make that a reality."
According to a release, the tentative budget deal would increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for hospitals and nursing homes by 7.5% and 6.5%, respectively. Yet these numbers belie the fact that much of the industry is already in a -5% funding hole this year as a result of other cuts, and rising costs of care wipe out marginal funding gains.
In the weeks leading up to the budget agreement announced Thursday night, the union claims Governor Hochul had rejected proposals contained in the Assembly and Senate one house budgets that would make critical investments to stabilize New York’s healthcare system which includes a 10% increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates.
The full press conference is available in the player below: