Contacts:
Buffalo & Rochester – April.Ezzell@1199.org, (716)449-1620
Syracuse & Utica – Allison.Krause@1199.org, (315)679-6032

As budget negotiations enter their fourth week, mayors of cities upstate have sent letters to the Governor calling on her to prioritize Medicaid funding to protect vulnerable residents in the midst of healthcare crisis.

Buffalo, NY – Healthcare workers, providers, and consumers continue to lobby elected leaders for increases to healthcare funding in the late state’s budget, and city mayors are likewise calling upon the Governor to support Upstate NY’s health needs. They are calling for Medicaid rate increases for hospitals and nursing homes of 10% and 20%, respectively, detailing the dire financial situation that many healthcare providers find themselves in, after three years of a pandemic which devastated the healthcare workforce and has significantly increased the need for community health services.

Mayors from the following cities sent letters urging Governor Hochul to invest in healthcare in the state’s budget:

• City of Buffalo, Mayor Byron Brown

• Village of Gouverneur, Mayor Ronald McDougall

• City of Plattsburgh, Mayor Christopher C. Rosenquest

• City of Rochester, Mayor Malik Evans

• City of Syracuse, Mayor Ben Walsh

• City of Utica, Mayor Robert Palmieri

To view a copy of the signed letter, please click here.

###

1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. We represent over 400,000 nurses and caregivers throughout Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Florida. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.