SUBURBAN HOSPITAL ALLIANCE JOINS REALITIES OF SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE

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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