To the New York State Congressional Delegation:

Our coalition of New York State consumers, health care and human service workers, and providers and insurers urge you to strongly oppose the new Graham-Cassidy bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which could be voted on in the Senate in the coming days. If the bill clears the Senate, it would be sent to the House for your consideration. Your opposition to the bill is critical, as its implementation would catastrophically cut Federal funding to New York’s health care system and severely compromise your constituents’ access to health care coverage and services.

The Graham-Cassidy bill would eliminate the ACA’s tax credits and Medicaid expansion, and replace them with profoundly inadequate per capita block grants to states. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the block grant policy and the Medicaid per capita cap would cut Federal spending to New York State by $18.9 billion in 2026.

As the bill’s authors have explained, their plan is specially designed to take Federal funding from New York State and redistribute it to states that chose not to expand their Medicaid programs. Further, the bill’s waiver provisions would also allow states to upend protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions and eliminate requirements that plans provide comprehensive coverage.

We urge the Delegation to reject the Graham-Cassidy bill. It’s time to work together in a bipartisan way to improve New Yorkers’ coverage and access to quality health care.

New York Health Plan Association
Coalition New York State Public Health Plans
Greater New York Hospital Association
Healthcare Association of New York State
Community Healthcare Association of New York State
Coalition of Provider Associations (COPA)
Cerebral Palsy Associations of NYS (CP of NYS)
New York State Rehabilitation Association
NYS Association of Community and Residential Agencies (NYSACRA)
NYSARC, Inc.
Leading Age New York
Home Care Association of New York State
New York State Association of Health Care Providers
Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Association of New York State
Continuing Care Leadership Coalition
Medical Society of the State of New York
The Nurse Practitioner Association of New York State
Healthcare for All New York
Metro New York Health Care for All
Medicare Rights Center
Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy
Empire Justice Center
Consumers Union
UJA Federation New York
Community Service Society of New York
Children’s Health Fund
New York StateWide Senior Action Council
Citizen Action New York
Medicaid Matters New York
New York State AFL-CIO
1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East
New York State Nurses Association
New York State United Teachers
Communications Workers of America District 1 Civil Service Employees Association
United University Professions