Rep. Collins vs. Gov. Cuomo over Medicaid

“Make no mistake. The Republican house members are recklessly attempting to buy votes for the AHCA with an IOU to the NY taxpayers”.

Speaker Ryan tried to woo upstate New York Republicans, including Stefanik, who represents the Plattsburgh area, with an amendment to the GOP health bill that would exclude rural counties from having to contribute to the state’s Medicaid expenses.

Clearly lacking the support to get the unattractive measure across the line and over to the Senate in the vote pending Thursday, a “manager’s amendment” has been put together that incorporates sweeteners for various House factions – including conservatives wanting a tougher crackdown on Medicaid, centrists anxious about the impact of a massive rise in premiums on near-retirees of limited means, and anti-abortion advocates demanding assurances that the final bill will not only defund Planned Parenthood, but make indirect subsidies for abortion and contraceptives impossible. But the difference, about $2.3 billion a year, would have to be picked up by the state without any additional federal aid. They say county property taxpayers would be alleviated of an enormous burden, which, should counties choose to cut taxes, would result in a reduction of hundreds of dollars in annual tax payments for New Yorkers.

The amendment means NY counties would be off the hook for an estimated $2.3 billion each year – savings Faso expects counties will pass along by cutting property taxes. The letter comes as House Republican leaders are increasingly optimistic their bill could win support from conservatives who’ve complained the GOP plan doesn’t do enough to gut Obamacare.

Stefanik said constituents in her district continue to see double-digit premium increases and that nationwide almost one-third of counties have just one insurer participating in the exchanges.

Acquario said NY is an outlier and one of the only states that require a local government contribution to Medicaid.

Donovan went into the Oval Office meeting Tuesday with “deep and serious concerns” about the Republican leadership’s American Health Care Act (AHCA). New Yorkers will hold them accountable for their vote.

“I am honored to have worked closely alongside the New York Republican congressional delegation to advance this long overdue initiative to provide historic property tax relief for citizens throughout upstate New York“, said Tenney, who was a state legislator until her election to Congress in November. Any tax increase flies in the face of New York’s success in reducing spending and taxes to record lows.

“The House Republican repeal bill is an especially bad deal for New Yorkers, and this backroom amendment is nothing more than politicians putting lipstick on a pig”, said Tyler Law, a spokesman for the House Democrats’ campaign arm. Rep. John Faso, a Capital Region Republican, said Cuomo should “man up” and have the state take responsibility for Medicaid as it should have years ago.

Katko, R-Camillus, said the Collins amendment sounds like a good idea, but he warned that it could ultimately result in big budget problems for NY.

Officials at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady referred a request for comment to the Healthcare Association of New York State, which represents hospitals and nursing homes across the state and has been outspokenly against the bill.

Proponents of the amendment argued that, by forcing the state to make do without county contributions, the state would have to think twice about how much it is spending ― and to find ways of economizing.

The answer, Cuomo said, is the healthcare providers will pay.

“The New York state budget is made up of $152 billion”.

Faso called Cuomo’s statement “absurd”, “unfortunate”, and “reprehensible”. When combined with other cuts that would likely occur if the health care bill is approved, the state could lose almost $7 billion. His office Thursday began spelling out specifically how it would hurt hospitals in Republican congressional districts. The amendments are an attempt to sway wary conservatives and moderates, but a coalition of House hardliners said they were not persuaded.

Stefanik is also soliciting feedback from constituents on Medicaid, and she is pleased the new legislation takes a multiyear approach to the program, Flanagin said.