Hudson, NY — Local organizations held a press conference on Thursday to call on Rep. John Faso to restore funding for hospitals (DSH-Disproportionate Share Hospital), CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program), and the insurance marketplace. Citizen Action of New York Hudson Valley Chapter, SEIU 1199, SBK Social Justice Center Inc., SDL + GHS, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) participated in the event, which was held at Columbia Memorial Hospital.
Congress has failed to meet the Oct. 1st deadline to renew funding for these critical programs, which jeopardizes access to health care for hundreds of thousands of New York children, endangers hospitals across the state, and threatens to raise premiums for families by as much as 20%
Medicaid DSH payments are a lifeline to safety net hospitals, enabling them to fulfill their mission to care for the uninsured and underinsured. If cuts are implemented, DSH allocation for New York State would be reduced by roughly $330 million this next year, increasing to $1 billion annually by 2022.
CHIP currently insures about 350,000 children in New York State, including 1000 children in Columbia County. The loss of this funding puts children at risk and places an undue financial burden on struggling families.
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