Author Archives: metrohealth_editor

Pat Fry Health Care Justice Memorial Fund Established to Support Our Work for Universal Health Care in the US (July 5, 2023)

It is with much sadness that we share news of the recent passing of Pat Fry, former Political Director of the Committee of Interns and Residents SEIU (CIR), and a longtime volunteer with our coalition after she retired about a decade ago. She died after a long illness while in home hospice care, surrounded by her family and close friends in Traverse City, Michigan. Plans are in development for public memorial events in the early Fall in her hometown of Detroit and in New York City where Pat lived and worked. You can read a brief obituary about Pat here.

Pat was an ardent trade union and social justice activist who worked tirelessly with us in the struggle for universal health care here in New York and across the United States. Our world is a better place because of her life and work, and we are now the lesser with her passing.

In memory of Pat and carrying forward her passion and spirit, we are proud to announce our new “Pat Fry Health Care Justice Memorial Fund”, to receive donations from friends, family, and colleagues upon her death, at Pat’s request. We are honored and humbled to be chosen in this way.

People can honor Pat’s wishes and donate to this new fund here, and we thank you for your contributions.

Contributions to the fund will be used to support our ongoing work that centers on health care issues in Congress, and in particular our role in leading the Health Care for America Now (HCAN) and it’s sister campaign Lower Drug Prices Now in New York, as we have for nearly 15 years now. HCAN is the national multi-constituency campaign that pushed comprehensive health care reform through Congress in 2009-10 which resulted in what we now know as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Since then, HCAN has led efforts to implement the law, defend it against numerous repeal attempts, and improve and expand its provisions to benefit more people over time. Millions of people across the US have benefited from this landmark and historic piece of social legislation, and Pat played an important role in making that happen.

During her tenure with CIR, Pat was instrumental in guiding and rallying the physician and health care union community behind the campaign for health care reforms, both nationally and locally. During the 15-month legislative campaign for the ACA, she and her CIR colleagues Tim Foley and Anne Mitchell provided crucial in-kind support to our NYC Organizing Committee for HCAN, and the congressional fight was a grueling up-and-down struggle from start to finish. In the end, 12 of 13 members of Congress from NYC voted for the bill, and it only passed by a handful of votes overall. Pat deserves a good part of the credit for that outcome.

Once she retired, Pat volunteered with us to help out with all kinds of tasks, in particular with outreach to unions for our various campaigns that focus on state and federal health care issues.  

We mourn Pat’s passing, will miss her savvy strategic thinking, and recommit ourselves in her spirit to the fight for health care justice and universal health care. We also celebrate her extraordinary life and work. Pat Fry, presente!  Rest in power.

Exciting news! Federal government says New York can ask for “Coverage for All” funds (June 8, 2023)

The Coverage for All bill (S.2237A/A.3020A, Rivera/Gonzelz-Rojas) is suddenly THIS CLOSE to passing the Legislature!

The Senate will be voting on it tonight (Thurs. eve.)  All that needs to happen next is for Assembly leaders to schedule a floor vote ASAP where we know it too will pass. Time is of the essence, since the Legislature will end their 2023 session by Saturday evening.

(Reminder: “Coverage for All” will open up New York’s very successful “Essential Plan” to all lower-income residents regardless of immigration documentation status, and it will be entirely paid for with federal funds.)

Earlier this week, legislative leaders received a letter from the federal government saying that New York can indeed ask for “Section 1332 pass-through funds” (refers to a provision of the Affordable Care Act) to pay for a Coverage for All program, and that similar permission has already been granted to some other states.

Now there is no excuse not to do it, and delay things any further!

What YOU can do …to get things over the finish line in the Assembly:

  • Reach out to your own Assemblymember to ask that they ask Speaker Heastie to schedule a floor vote on the Coverage for All bill (A.3020, Gonzalez-Rojas) before the Legislature adjourns on Saturday.
  • Use this digital toolkit to contact and tag Assemblymembers, and to create social media buzz more broadly.
  • Ask friends, family, and colleagues to do the same!

Thanks much for helping to make Coverage for All happen! It will put New York in the forefront of states extending public health insurance coverage to all residents, including all immigrants.

New York Health Care Advocates and Activists Mobilize to Protect Grassroots Democracy in Order to Advance Universal Health Care (June 7, 2023)

We in the universal health care movement have long understood that grassroots democracy is essential to our success. We won’t achieve our “health care for all” goal without it. That’s why we have long supported election campaign finance reforms that rebalance and counter the inordinate power of special interests and large donors by supporting and growing grassroots power in both our legislative and electoral processes.

Three years ago, New York State created a landmark public campaign finance program for candidates for public office. It is going into effect now for the 2023-4 election cycle, and incumbents and challengers are already enrolling in this new program. It is modeled on New York City’s very successful program that has been in operation for two decades.  

Both the State and City systems provide significant matching funds for small donations up to $250 from local residents and constituents, so that grassroots candidates can run for office without being reliant on outside big donors and political party bosses. These programs fundamentally shift the balance of power in elections by changing the financial rules of the game. They provide public funding to candidates who can demonstrate significant grassroots support from their own voters. It makes our democracy much better.

What just happened:

A new bill has suddenly been introduced in the NYS Legislature in the literal final days of this year’s state legislative session that will significantly weaken New York’s new public campaign finance program and violate the spirit of its intent. This bill is likely to move forward to passage by the end of this week, completely skipping any normal legislative process of passing through committees, etc. This new bill will make it more difficult for new candidates to challenge incumbents, and will allow candidates to receive matching funds for the first $250 of any larger donations (up to the legal limit of $18,000 per person.)

What YOU can do:

Those of us who believe in grassroots democracy need to immediately contact our State Senators and Legislators to voice our objections to these changes — small donor matching funds should only be for small donations! We also need to object to this new bill coming forward now out of a backroom deal during the final days of the legislative session, with no time for public awareness or debate or regular legislative process.

Fair Elections for New York has created a special digital toolkit for people to use to contact a targeted list of state legislators and ask them to vote against weakening the existing law, so that this new bill doesn’t sail through without any objections. To be clear, all expectations are that this new bill will pass. But for now, we need to get a cadre of courageous legislators in each chamber to stand up for strong grassroots democracy, to set the stage for what comes next with the roll-out of this new system.

Remember, the fight for good democracy is part-and-parcel of our fight for universal health care.

Thanks for jumping into this fight over the next few days.

New York Health Care Advocates and Activists Mobilize for Final End-of-Session Push (June 6, 2023)

We’re coming down to the wire, and YOU can help out!  This year’s New York State legislative session wraps-up by the end of this week.  We’ve got a few things that can hopefully get across the finish line with a bit of a push from everyone – only 3+ days to go!

Here’s what’s still in play on important health care issues, and how you can help move things along– remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease!

Coverage for All (S.2237/A.3020, Rivera/Gonzalez-Rojas) – This bill will open up New York’s very successful Essential Plan to all low-income New Yorkers and families regardless of immigration status issues. Federal funding is likely available for it through a Section 1332 waiver (refers to a provision of the Affordable Care Act) – all we have to do is ask about it. Here’s a good explainer on this bill.

  • State of Play: Health care and immigrant rights advocates pushed hard to get this idea included in the final state budget agreement earlier this Spring. The Legislature was fully in support and fought for its inclusion, but Governor Hochul wanted rock-solid assurance first that the federal government would cover the cost before she would commit to the idea. She has since written to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services for clarification, as have both the Health Committee chairs from the State Senate and Assembly, and all are now waiting for replies. In the meantime, the Legislature can enact authorizing legislation now so that all is ready to move ahead once a favorable response is received – no need to wait until next year!
  • What YOU can do: Contact YOUR own State Senator and Assemblymember to urge this program be authorized before the end of session. You can also use this digital toolkit to engage lawmakers, and to help others understand why this important step is needed.

End Medical Debt – There are two bills under this category:

  • The Ounce of Prevention Act (S.13666a/A.6027a, Rivera/Paulin) will streamline and update the State’s hospital financing assistance program’s standards so that more people can easily qualify and for greater financial support. The Attorney General’s office has suddenly stepped forward with support and is putting forward for some improvements, so this bill is now being set aside until next year’s session. In the meantime, advocates have also begun discussions with hospital industry leaders to attempt to forge a shared bill that all stakeholders can support. All is hopeful but will be delayed.
  • The Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act (S.4907a/A.6275a, Rivera/Paulin) will prohibit health care providers and collection agencies from reporting outstanding medical debt to credit agencies. It has passed the Senate, and is poised to go the Assembly floor for debate and vote – if so, it will likely pass. Leadership just has to schedule it. Contact YOUR own Assemblymember to ask them to have Speaker Heastie move this bill to the floor. If you like, here is a handy click-to-email tool you can use.

Regulating Hospital Closures – The Local Input for Community Healthcare Act (S.2085/A.1366, Kavanaugh/Simon) will set up a formal system for State oversight of hospital closures as industry consolidation continues into building ever-larger hospital networks. Right now, there isn’t much of a meaningful role for State officials, and what exists is very weak and haphazard. Local communities deserve better! Here is a summary of this bill from Community Voices for Health System Accountability, a statewide project we help to lead.

  • State of Play: This bill passed the Assembly last week, and is poised to go to the Senate floor IF a debate and vote gets scheduled by leadership. Last year, at this same time this bill also passed the Assembly, but the clock ran out in the Senate before it could be voted on – we don’t want that to happen again this year!
  • What YOU can do: Contact YOUR own State Senator to ask them to have Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins move this bill to the floor before adjournment. Organizations can also use this “Memo of Support” template and send it to Senator Kavanaugh’s lead staff for this bill (Anthony Macerola, amacerola.nysenate@gmail.com)

Thanks much for all your help to get these bills over the finish line in the next 3 days!

New York Health Advocates and Allies Launch Quick  “Do Your Job – Stop Debt Default NOW!” campaign (May 22, 2023)

It’s time for everyday New Yorkers and our organizations to speak up and speak out to our state’s US Senators and Representatives!

Add YOUR name and voice to our new “Do Your Job — Stop Debt Default!” campaign:

This quick campaign is being launched today by groups who are partners in or allies of Health Care for America Now’s New York State Network. It will run through the end of this month.

Why this campaign:

Unless Congress acts immediately, the US government will soon default on our debt payments, thereby causing our state and national economy to crash, the global economy to become unstable, and millions of everyday New Yorkers and our families to suffer economic loss and hardships.

Some radical politicians are blocking legislative action unless they get their way to impose severe spending cuts on social programs that help millions of everyday people with our basic daily needs. They are holding out just to protect and extend decades of unwarranted tax cuts for large corporations and the ultra-rich.

It’s time for obstinate congressional factions to stop this nonsense and their political hardball games, and take action NOW to stop a debt default catastrophe!

Some members of New York’s congressional delegation are fighting hard to prevent debt default and avoid harmful cuts to social programs. We stand with them, and salute them for their efforts and leadership — “we’ve got your back!”

However, other members remain intransigent, and are blocking agreement between the Senate, House, and President. We call on them to reasonably negotiate with their colleagues, and to prioritize the basic needs of everyday people over the excesses of those who already have more than enough yet don’t contribute their fair share.

Thanks for joining in this quick-yet-important campaign, and be sure to let others know about it!

Everyday New Yorkers Mobilize to Oppose New Debt Default Proposals from House Speaker McCarthy (Apr. 24, 2023)

The moment for us to act quickly and loudly has arrived. It’s time for us to raise an immediate ruckus with members of our city and region’s congressional delegation who belong to the House Republican Majority:

  • Long Island – Nick LaLota (NY-1), Andrew Garbarino (NY-2), George Santos (NY-3), Anthony D’Esposito (NY-4)
  • NYC – George Santos (NY-3), Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11)
  • Hudson Valley – Mike Lawler (NY-17)

Last week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy unveiled his draconian “Limit, Save, Grow Act” to address impending federal debt default that is anticipated to occur sometime in June or July. He wants to pass his bill this week.

Here’s what his bill will do:

  • Lift federal debt limits only until March 31, 2024 or by $1.5 trillion (whichever comes first.)
  • Slash federal spending back to FY 2022 levels (thereby negating last December’s FY 2023 bipartisan budget deal), and then cap the annual growth rate for discretionary programs (that are subject to the annual appropriations process) at 1% per year for the next decade (through FY 2033.)  Defense and VA spending would be exempted.
  • This combination of slash-cap-exempt would cause a whopping 59% cut in spending for everything else over the decade.  The affected programs would cover everything except “mandatory programs”, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP (formerly, Food Stamps), TANF (welfare.)  (However, funding for the agencies that administer these programs would be cut.)
  • Add work requirements for Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF, just to just throw people off these programs.
  • Take back still-being-spent pandemic funds provided to states.
  • Cancel student loan forgiveness programs.
  • Cancel new funding for the IRS to audit wealthy tax cheats.
  • Curtail the federal government’s ability to regulate many industries.
  • Repeal green energy tax credits and subsidies offered under the new Inflation Reduction Act law.
  • Ignore what causes climate change and boost domestic fossil fuel development and use instead.

Bad bonuses: This bill would also be combined with other legislative promises to:

  • Continue the Trump tax cuts for the wealthy in perpetuity. That would add over $3 trillion more to the federal debt over the next decade, thereby wiping out any alleged savings from McCarthy’s bill.
  • Repeal the Medicare Rx drug price negotiation provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, costing a loss of another $316 billion in savings from under that law.

Speaker McCarthy wants the House to vote on his bill before the end of this week IF he can summon up enough votes from his colleagues. Our job RIGHT NOW is to stop that from happening – we must prevent him from getting the votes he needs by causing a public uproar. If we succeed, we will dramatically weaken him and his majority in trying to do similar things in the future.

What to do NOW:

  • Inform your networks about this bill and the fast timeline to try to pass it.
  • Mobilize your networks to bombard the Capitol Hill and local district offices of these members of Congress (see list above) with messages to reject Speaker McCarthy’s debt default bill. Contact them by phone (Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121) and on social media platforms to express your opinion.
  • Use the webpages of these Reps. on the House website to write them an email and find out their local phone numbers.

Thanks much for stepping up to the plate right away at the crucial moment!

PS — Want more detail and background? Check out this analysis from our friends at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Keepin’ On Keepin’ On: Health Equity Issues at Play in New York State Budget Negotiations (Apr. 4, 2023)

55 years ago today, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis. We all continue to be inspired by his life example, readings, and writings. His most famous quote on health care is: “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhuman.”

Several key health care proposals we are pushing to include in this year’s final New York State budget deal will help advance health equity:

  • Expand public health insurance coverage for ALL low-income immigrants (“Coverage for All Act”).
  • Eliminate asset tests for low-income people on Medicare who apply for Medicaid wrap-around coverage.
  • Improve and streamline state-funded hospital financial assistance programs to prevent patients from incurring unnecessary medical debt (“Ounce of Prevention Act”).
  • Ban health care providers and debt collection agencies from reporting patient medical debt to credit rating agencies (“Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act”).
  • Redirect indigent care pool funding to safety-net hospitals that serve large numbers of low-income patients on public insurance programs or who are uninsured.
  • Increase salaries of home and community-based long-term care workers to recruit and retain a sufficient and quality workforce (“Fair Pay for Home Care”).

Beyond health care issues per se, we are also pushing for:

  • Full funding for the New York’s new public campaign finance program, to limit #BigDonor and special interest money in our elections, and strengthen constituent small donors to improve grassroots-driven democracy (“Fair Elections for New York”)
  • Ending decades of sweetheart tax deals given to large corporations, special interests, and the ultra-rich, by requiring them to “pay what they owe” and “pay their fair share” of taxes (“Invest in Our New York” package).

We won’t get to true universal health care without these vital election and tax reforms!

Thank you for all your outreach to Gov. Hochul and your state legislators on these issues! They are still alive and on the table in the ongoing budget process because of your advocacy. Your phone calls, emails, and social media posts matter, and they ARE having impact.

Broadly, issue advocates ARE maintaining and gaining ground (slowly-but-surely) in the budget process. Otherwise, a typical insider-only, special interest-driven deal would have already happened. So keep on keepin’ on!

Here’s some online links to easily take action:

New York Health Advocates Continue Pushing State Budget Priorities (March 27, 2023)

It’s that time of year again here in New York – state budget crunch time!

…and everyone’s help is needed to get some important items in the final agreement due by the end of this week.

These proposals are on the table now, and together everyday New Yorkers can take action to keep them there.

  • Provide public health insurance coverage for ALL low-income immigrants – include the “Coverage for All Act” (S.2237/Rivera, A.3020/Gonzalez-Rojas)
  • Protect hospital patients from incurring medical debt that they cannot pay off – include the “Ounce of Prevention Act” (S.1366/Rivera) and “Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act” (S.4907/Rivera)
  • Promote grassroots democracy, and counter #BigDonors in election campaigns by empowering small donor constituents – include full funding for New York’s new landmark “Public Campaign Finance Program”.

What people can do now:

  • Call Gov. Hochul (518-474-and YOUR OWN State Senator (518-455-2800) and Assemblymember (518-455-4100.)
  • Email Gov. Hochul, and YOUR OWN State Senator and Assemblymember (see contact page on their websites.
  • Use social media to engage with these lawmakers (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.)
  • Inform and ask others by social media, email, texting, and phone calls.

Here’s a couple of “click-to-call” links to use — they make it all quite easy!

New York Health Advocates Push Ahead with Priorities for Annual State Budget Process (March 10, 2023)

The New York State Legislature’s annual budget process is well underway and will conclude by the end of this month. It’s one of the key periods that issue advocates like us leverage to advance our legislative goals.

What We’ve Been Working On:

We participate in two statewide health advocacy coalitions that focus on budget issues:  Medicaid Matters New York, and Health Care for All New York. Each has a comprehensive budget agenda on their websites. In addition, we are helping to lead two budget-focused campaigns: Coverage for All, and End Medical Debt.

Coverage for All is pushing to expand New York’s very successful Essential Plan to all low-income New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status. End Medical Debt is pushing to improve and expand hospital financial assistance programs, and prevent patients with medical debt from being reported to credit check agencies.

The health committee chairs in each chamber (Sen. Gustavo Rivera, and Assemblymember Amy Paulin) are the lead sponsors of these bills, and they are being supported by many legislators. Governor Hochul has proposed more modest and limited versions of them, so there is common ground to build upon, and we are hopeful for success if the Legislature holds strong for robust versions of them.

What Suddenly Needs Special Attention and Support RIGHT NOW:

Something that we’ve long-supported and thought had been accomplished legislatively three years ago is now at risk, and we need everyone to step forward NOW to keep it on track. It’s not a health care program per se, but rather it involves something that rebalances power overall in state government, and will enable us to significantly advance toward universal health care (along with other progressive ideas.)

In 2020, after a years-long effort led by the Fair Elections for New York coalition (that we are part of), New York created a landmark new system of public financing of election campaigns to better enable grassroots community leaders to run for public office. It is modeled on a very successful small donor matching system that we’ve had here in NYC for over two decades that has transformed our government for the better. The new statewide system began to launch last fall right after Election Day, to be in effect for next year’s election cycle for state legislators.

For this year’s state budget, Gov. Hochul proposes to fully fund the agency tasked with running this new system (Public Campaign Finance Board), but she has not asked for enough money to match what candidates are already raising from small donors. Rather than step forward to make of the difference, state legislative leaders are suddenly silent on the matter, and some rank-and-file members are getting cold feet.  This whole new system is now in jeopardy, and things could revert back to the old system dominated by special interests, Big Donors, and party powerbrokers.

What to do RIGHT NOW!

Contact Governor Hochul and your State Senator and Assemblymember to demand that New York’s new public campaign finance program is fully funded in this year’s state budget, so that it can successfully operate for next year’s elections. Call on them to: Stand up for small donors and grassroots democracy!

  • Email lawmakers via their websites: Governor HochulState SenateState Assembly
  • Post messages on lawmakers’ social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok)
  • Call lawmakers’ offices and leave a voice message: Governor Hothul (518-474-8390), State Senate (518-455-2800), State Assembly (518-455-4100)
  • Alert others to this situation to ask them to take action via email and social media.

Thanks for stepping forward to help out at this crucial moment!  Having a successful and functional public financing system in New York will help level the playing field against all the various special interests that have long blocked a universal health care program here.

Watch Our Recent Online Annual Gala Saluting Health Care Justice Leadership During 2022 (Feb. 24, 2022)

For the third year in a row, we held our Health Care Justice Leadership Annual Gala online, given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The good news is that the pandemic’s spread and scope continues to wane, so with luck, for our next Gala we’ll finally all be able to gather back together in-person late next fall. (Just in time for to celebrate our 30th anniversary!)

In case you missed this celebratory and inspiring event, you can just click here to watch it online.

Our honorees this year included:

  • Former New York State Health Committee Chair Richard Gottfried, for his lifetime and career achievements and leadership on SO many health care justice issues.
  • AARP New York, New York State Alliance for Retired Americans, and New York Statewide Senior Action Council, for their leadership in mobilizing New Yorkers on Medicare (and their allies) to push landmark Rx drug reform legislation through Congress, and building support for it within our state’s congressional delegation.
  • Committee of Interns and Residents, New York State Nurses Association, and 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, for their leadership in placing patient access and quality of care at the core of their successful organizing drives and contract negotiations.
  • Campaign for Affordable Hospitals, Community Coalition for the Safety Net, Community Voices for Health System Accountability, End Medical Debt, and Montefiore Bronx Accountability Coalition, for their various efforts to improve hospitals as mission-driven institutions serving patients and local communities.

We also heard inspiring and powerful keynote remarks from Dr. Kamini Doobay, founder of the NYC Coalition to Dismantle Racism in the Health System.

We thank everyone who contributed to this year’s Gala and attended via zoom, and all those groups and unions who joined our Host Committee, including:

  • AARP New York State
  • Callen-Lorde Community Health Network
  • Citizen Action of New York
  • Committee of Interns and Residents, SEIU
  • Community Health Care Association of New York State
  • Community Healthcare Network
  • Community Service Society of New York
  • District Council 37 AFSCME
  • Doctors Council, SEIU
  • Housing Works
  • New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO
  • New York Social Service Employees, Local 371, DC 37 AFSCME
  • New York State Nurses Association
  • New York Statewide Senior Action Council
  • #NYDocs Coalition
  • Open Door Family Medical Centers
  • Organization of Staff Analysts
  • Physicians for a National Health Program, NY Metro Chapter
  • Professional Staff Congress CUNY, Local 2334 AFT
  • Project Hospitality
  • 1199 SEIU-GNYHA Healthcare Education Project
  • 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East
  • United University Professions, Local 2190 AFT

For those who didn’t have a chance yet to make a financial contribution, we still welcome your support! Just use these links below: