Media Advisory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 17, 2017

Contact: Allison Krause, 315.679.6032 | allison.krause@1199.org

Repealing Affordable Care Act, gutting Medicaid and Medicare would create epic healthcare crisis

WHAT:  Media Opportunity: First in a series of actions; working people and healthcare advocates across the country are calling on Congress to make affordable healthcare a priority.

WHEN: Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 11:00 a.m.

WHERE: Congressman Collins’ Williamsville Office – 2813 Wehrle Dr., Williamsville, NY

WHO: 1199SEIU Healthcare Workers, healthcare consumers, community activists, the Concerned Clergy Coalition, and Community Health Center of Buffalo CEO, Dr. Lavonne Ansari

Williamsville, NY – On Wednesday, January 18, frontline healthcare workers, community leaders, CEO’s, and affected citizens will stand united to sound the alarm about what’s at stake as Donald Trump and Congressional leaders move to eliminate affordable healthcare coverage, including vital Medicaid benefits and services. If the Affordable Care Act is repealed, tens of millions of children, seniors and working adults including 217,825 residents in New York’s 27th Congressional District will be at risk for losing coverage.1 Community, business, and religious leaders are calling on Congress to fix what is broken in the healthcare system, and leave in place provisions that have proven to help millions of Americans.

Congressional leaders are unnecessarily rushing to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a move that would take away health insurance coverage for 30 million Americans, including 93,403 people in Erie County alone.

"Denying people health care is not only bad policy but a sin,” said Rev. George Nicholas, Pastor of Lincoln Memorial United Methodist Church, and leader of the Concerned Clergy Coalition. “Congressman Collins and his family have health coverage, it is cruel for him to deny it to his constituents."

Here’s what’s at stake for in Western New York, if the ACA is repealed without an immediate replacement:

• Over 93,403 Erie County residents will lose coverage by 2019. [Urban Institute]
• 217,825 residents in CD27 will be at risk for losing coverage.¹ This includes over 100,000 with Medicaid coverage, 22,568 with Essential plan coverage, and 24,469 with private plans purchased through the ACA marketplace.²
• 52 million Americans with pre-existing conditions could be denied health insurance. [Urban Institute]
• Rolling back Medicaid expansion and block-granting the program could put 72 million low income people, including children, seniors and people with disabilities, in danger of losing health coverage. [Families USA]
• Hospitals could lose more than $165 billion between 2018 and 2026, leading to an “unprecedented public health crisis.” [Federation of American Hospitals (FHA); American Hospital Association (AHA)]
• The estimated direct state budget impact of the repeal is $3.7 billion. New York’s counties have been able to use the additional federal Medicaid funding through the Affordable Care Act, which goes to directly to counties and helps to lower property taxes. A repeal of the Affordable Care Act would result in a total loss of $595 million in funding.

"In order to protect the health of the uninsured, the underinsured and the those who are economically disadvantaged the right and access to affordable health care for all must be maintained,” said Dr. Lavonne Ansari, CEO of the Community Health Center of Buffalo, which provides healthcare services in Congress member Collins district.

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1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. We represent over 400,000 nurses and caregivers throughout Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Florida. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.

1. Governor Cuomo Announces Impact of Potential Affordable Care Act Repeal in New York [Internet]. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. 2017 [cited 2017 Jan 6]. Available from: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-impact-potential-affordable-care-act-repeal-new-york

2. 2016 Open Enrollment Report | NY State of Health [Internet]. [cited 2016 Oct 6]. Available from: http://info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/2016OpenEnrollmentReport