Champlain Valley Healthcare Providers, Caregivers and Workers Ask Congress to Listen to Their Concerns

February 24, 2017

For Immediate Release: Today, February 24, 2O17

Contact: Mark Spadafore, 315.744.3555

Champlain Valley Healthcare Providers, Caregivers and Workers Ask Congress to Listen to Their Concerns

Recently released Congressional Health Plan could place needed healthcare services at risk.

WHEN: Friday, February 24, 2017, 11 a.m.

WHERE: Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital

75 Beekman Street, Plattsburgh, Board Room (main entrance)

(Plattsburgh) The “Obama Care Repeal and Replace” plan recently released by Congress, would threaten the economic viability of the healthcare institutions that serve our communities and cause 30 million hardworking Americans to lose healthcare coverage.

Administrators and providers at the University of Vermont Health Network, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital and the workers who take care of and provide services to the patients, will speak about how the flawed Congressional healthcare plan will impact the hospital and community. They are urging Congress to oppose this plan and instead advocate for a plan that will not cut Medicaid and Medicare funds and will not eliminate affordable healthcare coverage, among other important points that will be discussed at the press conference.

IMPACT OF REPEALING AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE

Over 4,000 jobs will be at risk in New York’s North Country district, 131,000 statewide

Premiums are likely to double for the 10,000 North Country residents who buy private insurance on ACA exchanges.

2.7 million New York State residents would be left without coverage (source: Governor Cuomo’s Office)

16,500+ individuals in Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties would be at risk of losing coverage.It would undermine hospitals' and health systems' ability to transform care and provide access to quality care for all, our core missions.

It could cause a fiscal crisis for the state and localities.

The repeal of ACA coverage expansion provisions would be a loss of about $4 billion annually to New York State, including $595 million of which could be the county share. (source: Governor Cuomo’s Office); those figures would grow over time.

A massive cut in federal support would undermine the state’s successful efforts to control Medicaid spending growth and endanger ongoing delivery system reform.

It would also create a substantial deficit in state and county budgets that could result in reduced provision of health care and other vital services, including home health care in the North Country.

North Country Hospitals could lose up to $26 million per year in federal funding.

Statewide, hospitals could lose up to $2 billion per year in federal funding. (Governor Cuomo’s Office)


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.

The University of Vermont Health Network - Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital is a private, not-for profit hospital and a subsidiary of the University of Vermont Health Network – Adirondack Region. Established in 1967 with the merger of Champlain Valley and Physicians hospitals, CVPH joined Fletcher Allen Partners in 2012, which in 2014 became The University of Vermont Health Network. Together with its partners, the University of Vermont Medical Center, Alice Hyde Medical Center, Central Vermont Medical Center and Elizabethtown Community Hospital, CVPH provides high quality, cost effective care, close to home. Services include an award winning cardiac services program, accredited cancer center, freestanding ambulatory surgery center, comprehensive rehabilitation services and a 24-hour physician-staffed Emergency Care Center. Governed by a 15-member Board of Directors, CVPH is accredited by the Joint Commission and licensed by New York State and Medicare/Medicaid Approved