Congress is about to make significant changes to our health care system. I urge our region's representatives to vote based on a commitment to our Finger Lakes communities and not to fund tax cuts for billionaires across the country. We've heard the rationalization, that the budget only deals with waste and fraud without benefit cuts. But here's the reality, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office concluded the projected $.5 trillion savings can't be found without benefit cuts. The fraud savings are an illusion. States that have tried work requirements have failed — just increased paperwork and bureaucracy which are projected to harm people who need health care. The bill passed by the house would newly replace these applicants up to the age of 65 and cost New York state taxpayers $.5 billion to implement.
I was pleased to see that Congressman Mannion (NY-22) voted against the bill, recognizing the severe negative impact on our neighbors and our health care system. I am truly disturbed that our nearby NY-24 representative Claudia Tenney supports budget cuts that will have constituents lose health insurance, food stamps, heating assistance and other vital programs that save lives. Important to note, the cuts in her district also impact the entire Finger Lakes region. In her district, more than 12% of the residents are receiving food stamp benefits with 19,000 at risk of losing some or all of their benefits. The benefit is critically important to stave off hunger, but equally important to the economy of our farming community that supplies the food.
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Almost 30% of NY-24 residents are enrolled in Medicaid, with more than 27,000 at risk of losing their coverage. A new $35 Medicaid copay will result in delayed care that backs up hospital emergency rooms, impacting us all. Cutting the current retroactive 90-day enrollment in Medicaid means more of our neighbors will have huge, unaffordable out-of-pocket costs, mostly for nursing home care.
The so-called savings don't reduce the deficit — the budget bill increases the deficit to support tax cuts for billionaires. Furthermore the federal deficit increase will trigger a hidden Medicare funding cut. These changes will harm the health care system — the hospitals, doctors, nursing homes and home care services that we all need to rely upon. It's time for Ms. Tenney to work to protect our region from the pain of the cuts that she has so far supported.
Dorothy Laffoon lives in Moravia.
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