New York Hospital Association, SEIU/1199 Launch Ad Campaign Opposing Gov. Spitzer’s Budget Proposal
1199 Service Employees International Union, United Healthcare Workers-East and the Greater New York Hospital Association on Thursday launched an advertising campaign opposing New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's (D) plan to cut about $1 billion in funding from hospitals and nursing homes, the New York Times reports (Hakim, New York Times, 2/23). Spitzer on Jan. 31 announced a $120.6 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2007-2008 that would expand health insurance to children and reduce spending on existing health care programs by $1.2 billion. The cuts on spending for health care programs would partially offset spending increases in other programs, such as education and tax cuts. Spitzer's budget would restrain growth in Medicaid spending to 1.7%, compared with 8% in recent years. One of Spitzer's proposals would freeze Medicaid payments to hospitals and nursing homes for one year, for savings of $182 million (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 2/23). SEIU/1199 and the hospital association have launched two 30-second television ads, a mailer and a Web site. The television ads say that Spitzer is "right" to want to reform health care, but adds that his plan "does it the wrong way, cutting over $1 billion from hospitals and nursing homes instead of making HMOs and nursing homes pay their fair share" (Benjamin, Albany Times Union, 2/23). Jennifer Cunningham, senior adviser to SEIU/1199, said, "As the caregivers on the front lines of our state's hospitals and nursing homes, we know firsthand the devastating impact that the Spitzer cuts will have for the patients we care for." Spitzer in a statement said, "This is a predictable response from groups dedicated to maintaining a status quo that does not work for anyone but them," adding that the groups' goal "is to block any attempt to reform the system" (New York Times, 2/23).
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