Urgent Phone Calls Needed Today (Wednesday) to protect Health + Hospitals and support S.6948A and A9476A (Establishes a hospital supplemental reimbursement rate adjustment for enhanced safety net hospitals)

Dear Doctors,

As you know, the NYC Health + Hospitals is facing a severe financial crises.  One reason is that H + H does not receive its fair share of funding based on the number and type of patient population taken care of as a safety net facility.

Urgent calls are needed today (Wednesday).  Please make calls and state your support for the bill to Senator Kemp Hannon, Chair of the Health Committee, and Senator John Flanagan, Majority Leader, to support S.6948A the Enhanced Safety Net Hospital legislation.  We are told that there is a commitment to bring this bill to the Senate floor on Thursday, the last day of the New York State legislative session.  It is important that we make calls to state the case and support the bill. You can use the New York State AFL-CIO Hot Line to call 877-255-9417 and press 2 for the Senate.

Please also call the Assembly and express your support at 877-255-9417 and press 3 for the Assembly.  The Enhanced Safety Net Hospital bill, A9476A, was passed unanimously out of the Health Committee.  Please call Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, Health Committee Chair and Speaker Carl Heastie to ask them to ensure passage of the bill in the Assembly.

Reminder:  These bills would change the definition of safety net hospitals so that an enhanced Medicaid rate will be available to those hospitals that fit the bill and truly provide care for Medicaid and uninsured patients.  The additional funding is both deserved by H + H and desperately needed. 

Thanks for taking the time to advocate for our safety net facilities such as Health + Hospitals.  Our patients need access to the services we provide.

Doctors Council SEIU