Labor and Management at Crouse hospital presented a unified message to state lawmakers today to restore cuts to Medicaid. Hospitals were originally slated to receive a two percent increase under Governor Cuomo’s budget. But Crouse COO and Chief Medical Officer Seth Kronenberg says Cuomo rolled that back after a deficit emerged, and amounts to a 1.4 million dollar hit.
“That $1.4 million in revenue was budgeted and promised in the original budget, and now it’s a shortfall for Crouse. And that effects neo-natal intensive care, indigent, high risk OB."
Kronenberg says all hospitals are affected, not just Crouse. Crouse Interim Chief Nursing Officer Lynne Shopiro says stable Medicaid funding is crucial to our health system across the state.
“Especially when you consider that one in three people covered by Medicaid is a child, and more than half of all our delivers of babies in state across are covered by Medicai,”
Jamila Sherman has worked at Crouse for seven years. She knows firsthand how Medicaid coverage can help.
“My five children are healthy and breathing. There were born at Crouse. My insurance was Medicaid. We cannot afford to back down. We must fight for our hospital."
Assemblymember Pam Hunter says her chamber has restored the Medicaid reductions in its budget, and will vote this week. The budget deadline is April first.
