AS THE FALLOUT FROM TRUMP & GOP’S DEVASTATING MEDICAID CUTS BEGINS - THREATENING HEALTHCARE FOR OVER 30,000 IN CENTRAL NY - SCHUMER ANNOUNCES NEW BILL TO REVERSE CUTS: PROTECTING HEALTHCARE & HOSPITALS FOR CENTRAL NY FAMILIES, LOWERING PREMIUMS, AND SAVING COUNTY BUDGETS THAT OTHERWISE WILL BE FORCED TO FOOT THE BILL FOR TRUMP’S HEALTHCARE CUTS

Trump & Congressional Republicans Rushed To Pass Largest Healthcare Cut In History To Fund Tax Breaks For Corporations & Billionaires – And Now Panic Is Setting In For Republicans As Local Hospitals, Nursing Homes, & Rural Health Clinics Could Be Decimated And 1.5 Million New Yorkers Risk Losing Healthcare

As Republicans Look For A Way Out, Schumer Announces New Legislation With Central NY Doctors & Nurses On The Frontlines To Make Healthcare More Affordable, Reverse GOP Cuts Before More Permanent Damage Is Done, And Extend Healthcare Tax Credits Families Use To Keep Their ACA Premiums Low

Schumer: We Must Protect Healthcare For Central NY & Rural Hospitals Across America 

As the fallout from Trump and the GOP’s devastating Medicaid cuts in their ‘Big Ugly Betrayal’ begins in Central NY with local hospitals fearing layoffs and over 1.5 million New Yorkers projected to lose healthcare, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced for the first time in NY his new legislation the Protecting Health Care And Lowering Costs Act to repeal the devastating healthcare cuts and permanently extend the ACA premium tax credits that are set to expire at the end of this year, and otherwise will raise families healthcare costs.

Standing at Auburn Community Hospital, Schumer said these rushed, ill-conceived Trump cuts to fund tax breaks for billionaires have already caused hospitals across America to announce closures, layoffs in NY, and are expected to rip away health coverage for more than 30,000 in Central NY and he is leading the charge in the Senate to fix this grave Republicans mistake that we are just beginning to see the consequences of and invest instead to lower people’s healthcare costs.

“Trump’s ‘Big, Ugly Betrayal’ is one of the most devastating bills for Central New York healthcare we’ve ever seen. Over 32,000 people in Central New York are expected to lose healthcare, and these cuts will be felt especially hard in Cayuga, where Auburn Medical Center receives more than $40 million annually from Medicaid. Trump is feeding Medicaid to the sharks just to give tax breaks to his billionaire friends,” said Senator Schumer. “It doesn’t need to be this way. That’s why I’m announcing a new bill that will repeal all of Trump’s healthcare cuts and extend premium tax credits that Republicans would otherwise let expire in December. The worst is already starting, with hospital closures across the country and layoffs right here in New York. The panic is setting in for Republicans, so I hope they will join me to reverse these cuts and save our hospitals.”

Schumer’s new legislation would reverse all of the health care cuts in the “Big, Ugly Betrayal,” including those to Medicaid, and would permanently extend the ACA premium tax credits. The entire Democratic caucus has signed on to co-sponsor the legislation. The full text of the legislation can be seen here. As currently written, the Republicans passed legislation would kick nearly 15 million people across America off their health insurance and totals more than one trillion dollars in health care cuts. In Central New York, the average monthly cost increase for a couple is expected to be $256, a 43% increase – which is higher than the statewide average – due to the elimination of premium tax credits in Trump’s bill. Senate Democrats are fighting back and pushing to reverse these devastating cuts and extend tax credits to make health care affordable.

In Cayuga County, 35% of the population receives Medicaid assistance or is enrolled in essential plans, and 30% of Medicare enrollees who receive services are also Medicaid eligible. At Auburn Community Hospital, which employs 1,500 workers, a whopping 40% of patients are Medicaid eligible. Medicaid payments account for approximately $40 million, or more than 25% of ACH’s annual patient visits. Medicaid is also a vital source of funding for Cayuga County Department of Mental Health, which operates outpatient clinical programs providing mental health, substance abuse, and mobile crisis treatment programs for Cayuga County residents. The Cayuga County Department of Mental Health treats over 2,000 patients annually, including hundreds of children and seniors, of which more than 60% pay using Medicaid or Medicaid Managed Care.

According to the Syracuse Post-Standard, these cuts will hit the Central New York healthcare system hard. In Syracuse, Crouse Hospital, St. Joe’s Health Hospital, and SUNY Upstate Medical University Hospital employ nearly 20,000 workers and could lose as much as $65 million. One-third of Upstate’s patients, approximately 70,000 every year, are on Medicaid, and together Crouse and St. Joseph’s combine for another 45,000 Medicaid patients every year, approximately 20% of total patients. Syracuse Community Health sees more than 17,00 Medicaid patients every year; the South Side Health Center could see more than 3,000 patients lose health insurance, causing a loss of $3 million, 10% of the health center’s budget, every year.

Schumer said the GOP healthcare cuts will shift the costs of care to local governments, resulting in agonizing decisions with county executives and state legislators forced to decide where to make up for the huge budget hole caused by the staggering loss in federal funding. Counties like Cayuga will be forced to shoulder the burden of increased costs of Medicaid, using more local dollars to manage people’s coverage with less federal funding coming in.

Cayuga County will have a major hole blown in its budget by Trump’s cuts, forcing a horrible choice between raising taxes and making deeper cuts. In addition, cuts to SNAP in Trump’s budget bill lower the reimbursement rate from 50% to 25%, which could make Cayuga County lose $500,000 while raising the County’s contribution for administration expenses by $554,000. Cuts to Medicaid mean the possibility of higher taxes or cuts to other programs that communities rely on, like education or public safety.

The GOP’s plan to cut Medicaid has already hit New York State. Earlier this year, Garnet Health laid off 42 employees and cut programs for Hudson Valley patients, citing the disastrous Medicaid cuts in the GOP’s “Big, Beautiful Bill.” Schumer said this is a dark preview of what is to come now that the GOP has enacted the largest healthcare cut in history to pay for their tax cuts for billionaires and wealthy corporations. The GOP’s Medicaid cuts will force healthcare facilities to cancel services, lay off staff, and rip away healthcare from thousands of seniors and kids. Overall, New York State estimates that the state will lose $13.5 billion because of the new federal healthcare cuts. With Congressional Republicans already panicking about the devastating impact of these unpopular cuts, Schumer is pushing Senate Democrats to lead the way in fixing their mistake to protect healthcare for millions of Americans.

“As a Sole Community Hospital and Essential Safety Net Provider, it is our duty to provide accessible, quality care for our community members, many of whom rely on Medicaid or Medicare. At ACH, we depend on over $40 million from Medicaid every year to care for tens of thousands of patients and employ hundreds of healthcare workers in rural communities across Cayuga County. Our rural friends’ and neighbors’ lives literally depend on the ability to seek care and find it close to home,” said Scott Berlucchi, President & CEO, Auburn Community Hospital. “Cutting healthcare coverage for New Yorkers will result in delayed care, higher healthcare expenses, and more severe health problems for our community. Ensuring coverage for those who need it most is more critical now than ever before. On behalf of the entire ACH team, I thank Senator Schumer for coming to our community today to fight for rural healthcare, and I am proud to stand in support of Senator’s new legislation to roll back the recent Medicaid cuts and extend the ACA premium tax credit.”

“When millions lose health coverage, we will all feel it. It puts lives at risk, strains our communities, and weakens the entire health care system—for everyone. As a faith-based health system, we believe access to care is a fundamental right and protecting it is our shared responsibility. Our hospitals are more than places of healing. They are employers, community partners, and a vital part of the safety net. These cuts unravel critical supports, forcing not-for-profit hospitals to cut essential services and programs. Medicaid is essential. Weakening it will only create instability across the system and in our communities. A better path forward is strengthening value-based care and insurer reform to improve outcomes and reduce waste, said Meredith Price, Senior Vice President, Acute Operations, St. Joseph’s Health. “The impact goes far beyond those who lose coverage. Our entire health system and every community we serve will feel the effects. Reduced services, longer wait times, staff reductions, and the potential closure of programs and facilities. When people lose coverage, they turn to the ER for basic care. Overwhelmed ERs become even more crowded, delaying care for everyone and straining staff who are already stretched. Medicare cuts are coming too, including a $1B hit to Home Health Care. Together, these cuts are unraveling care at every level, from hospitals to homes. When states face Medicare cuts, programs like PACE and home-based care are often the first to go even though they keep seniors healthier, at home and cost less. This means fewer choices for families and more people forced into costly long-term care facilities. It is not just a health care crisis. It’s an economic one. Protecting access to health care isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s essential to keeping our communities strong, healthy, and safe.”

“Medicaid is an essential source of funding for hospitals, especially rural hospitals, community health centers, doctors, mental health services, nursing homes, and more. In New York, Medicaid covers 5 out of 8 nursing home residents, 47% of births, and 4 out of 9 children. These are members of some of the most vulnerable patient populations that need healthcare in our state. Medicaid cuts will make it more difficult for New York State’s hard-working healthcare personnel, including the 250 1199 members working at Auburn Community Hospital, who should be focused on providing high quality medical care and lifesaving interventions to members of our communities, not on whether a patient has the right insurance,” said Mark Spadafore, Upstate NY Political Director, 1199 SEIU. “The bottom line is that stripping hundreds of billions from Medicaid will be devastating for New Yorker’s across all corners of the state. On behalf of us all at 1199 SEIU, I am proud to stand alongside Senator Schumer today as we fight to protect New York State healthcare, healthcare workers, and the vital Medicaid funding we all depend on.”

“As the region’s safety-net provider with more than 75% of our residents relying on Medicaid for their care, Loretto is very concerned about the Medicaid cuts contained in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, especially for New Yorkers in our rural communities,” said Julie Sheedy, Chief Marketing Officer and Spokesperson for Loretto. “And it doesn’t just impact the people Loretto serves. If nursing home beds aren’t available, more people will remain in our hospitals longer, hindering access for all of us who may need hospital care. The trickle-down effect on our regional healthcare network will lead to less access to care, less community stability and less economic activity in rural America. We thank Senator Schumer for highlighting the challenges residents of rural communities face in accessing quality healthcare."

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