Health-care amendment would reduce funding to nursing homes

[Rhiannon12866]

An amendment to the Republican health-care plan, the latest stab at making the alternative to Obamacare more palatable to lawmakers, will decimate health-care coverage for the state’s oldest and most frail residents, said Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a press briefing on Thursday afternoon.

Introduced late Wednesday by U.S. Reps. Chris Collins, R-Clarence, and John Faso, R-Kinderhook, the amendment to the American Health Care Act prohibits federal reimbursement of the local share of Medicaid funds paid by counties.

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Stefanik also listed on her website 11 local officials who support the amendment because the say it offers property tax relief to residents.

Nonetheless, the governor said on Thursday that this belief is false, pointing to an analysis by the state Department of Health that shows 26 nursing homes in the 21st Congressional District would lose $29.8 million in funding if the Ryan/Collins/Faso health-care repeal is passed.

"It would cripple their ability to provide critical services for seniors, hurting New York’s most vulnerable citizens and jeopardizing hundreds of jobs across the district," he said. "The massive cuts in funding to nursing homes in Congresswoman Stefanik's district underscore the devastating impact the combination of the Collins/Faso amendment and Paul Ryan health care replacement plan will have on New Yorkers across the state."

Cuomo continued: "The Faso/Collins amendment is really a despicable attempt to buy votes at the cost of their constituents," Cuomo said. "These devastating cuts will cripple health-care services in communities across New York, with $29.8 million in cuts to nursing homes in the 21st District alone.”


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