Americans Satisfied With Their Current Health Coverage, Lean Against Single Payer, Finds New PRI Survey…

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For Immediate Release
November 26, 2018
Contact: Zack Hutchins
(518) 465-7511
SUBURBAN HOSPITAL ALLIANCE JOINS DIVERSE GROUP WORKING TO RAISE AWARENESS
OF THE REALITIES OF SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE
Recognizing the potential adverse impact that a government-run, single payer system would have on hospitals, the Suburban Hospital Alliance today joined the Realities of Single Payer. In becoming the 40th member of the Realities of Single Payer, the Alliance joins a broad-based coalition of employers, health care providers, labor unions, health plans and brokers concerned about the impact the NY Health Act would have on New Yorkers and the health care system.
“We are committed to efforts aimed at providing health care coverage to all New Yorkers,” said Kevin Dahill, president and CEO of the Suburban Hospital Alliance. “It is increasingly clear that the New York Health Act single payer proposals is not a feasible approach and that the conversation needs to focus on realistic solutions.”
The Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State is a consortium of 51 not-for-profit and public hospitals that advocates for better health care policy for all those living and working in the areas served by its members. The member hospitals operate in the nine counties north and east of New York City including Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island and Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, Putnam, Dutchess, and Ulster counties in the Hudson Valley.
“The idea of a government-run health insurance may have been a popular campaign talking point, but post-election more and more of our elected officials are beginning to realize such a program would be a disaster for New York taxpayers,” said Heather C. Briccetti, Esq., president and CEO of The Business Council of New York State, Inc. “The Realities group is working to help educate New Yorkers about the facts that show a single payer system is one we can’t afford.”
A report from the RAND Corp. for the New York State Health Foundation on the New York Health Act single payer legislation found that moving to a government-run system would require $139 Billion in new state taxes in 2022, rising to $210 Billion in 2031 — representing the largest state tax hike in U.S. history. That significant tax increase would be a devastating hit to New York’s economy and result in hundreds of thousands of lost jobs.
The RAND study also said that savings, expected to come from reducing the reimbursement rates the state pays doctors, hospitals, drug makers and other providers, may result in doctors leaving the state. That would negatively threaten access to and quality of care. Additionally, a new report from the Empire Center found that deep cuts in reimbursement rates to hospitals under the NY Health Act would compromise quality of care, trigger layoffs, and put many at risk of closure.
Members of The Realities of Single Payer are committed to ensuring access to high-quality and affordable health care for all New Yorkers and have joined together to educate the public about the consequences that a single payer health care system would have on both individuals and businesses in New York State.
Suburban Hospital Alliance Member Hospitals
Long Island Region:
Brookhaven Memorial Hospital
Eastern Long Island Hospital
Long Island Jewish Valley Stream
Glen Cove Hospital
Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center
Huntington Hospital
John T. Mather Memorial Hospital
Mercy Medical Center
Nassau University Medical Center
North Shore University Hospital
NYU Winthrop Hospital
Peconic Bay Medical Center
Plainview Hospital
St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center
St. Charles Hospital
St. Francis Hospital
St. Joseph Hospital
South Nassau Communities Hospital
Southampton Hospital
Southside Hospital
Stony Brook University Hospital
Syosset Hospital
Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Hudson Valley Region:
Bon Secours Community Hospital
Blythedale Children’s Hospital
Burke Rehabilitation Hospital
Catskill Regional Medical Center
Ellenville Regional Hospital
Good Samaritan Hospital
HealthAlliance Broadway Campus
HealthAlliance Hospital Mary’s Avenue Campus
Helen Hayes Hospital
Keller Army Community Hospital
NewYork-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital
MidHudson Regional Hospital of Westchester Medical Center
Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital
Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital
Northern Dutchess Hospital
Northern Westchester Hospital
New York Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital Center
The New York Presbyterian Hospital, Westchester Division
Orange Regional Medical Center
Phelps Memorial Hospital Center
Putnam Hospital Center
St. Anthony Community Hospital
Saint Joseph’s Medical Center
St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital
St. Vincent’s Westchester
VA Hudson Valley Health Care System
Vassar Brothers Medical Center
Westchester Medical Center
White Plains Hospital Center