WHO: 1199SEIU, CWA, Healthcare Education Project, Union of American Physicians & Dentists (UAPD), Healthcare workers, voters, invited guests Congressman Nick Langworthy and Congressional candidate Aaron Gies

 

WHAT: Healthcare Townhall

 

WHEN:  Thursday, October 22, 2026 from 6:00 PM-8:00 PM

 

WHERE: Unitarian Universalist Church, 94 Buffalo Rd, East Aurora, NY 14052

 

WHY?:  Last July, the Federal Government passed HR 1, also known as the Big Beautiful Bill.  This bill will cut more than $1.8 trillion dollars from healthcare including health coverage for the most vulnerable in our communities.  These cuts to critical services will fund tax cuts for the wealthy.   

 

Some seven million New Yorkers, including nearly half of the state’s children, half of all people with disabilities, and the majority of nursing home residents rely on Medicaid. In addition, 46% of all pregnant women in New York have their births covered by Medicaid.  In NY-23 alone, approximately 178,300 people are enrolled in Medicaid, including 52,000 children^[1]. 

 

Thousands of New Yorkers in rural and southern tier communities have lost access to healthcare as a result of HR 1.  Hospitals are closing services and nursing homes are shutting their doors, leaving residents to travel long distances to receive treatment and care. 

 

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not only Medicaid recipients who are impacted by the cuts.  Healthcare cuts impact hospitals and nursing homes that many rural residents rely on. This congressional district has 5 safety net hospitals. A facility is designated as a safety net hospital if they meet certain criteria, including at least 35% of all patient care is associated with Medicaid, uninsured and Dual Eligible individuals.

 

It’s worth noting that 72% of all people admitted to hospitals in the district rely on Medicaid or Medicare as their primary health coverage, which accounts for 58% of revenue to these facilities.

 

In the past year, multiple nursing homes in the district have since closed^[2] and hospital services are being cut leaving rural residents to drive longer distances for services. Eight southern tier hospitals^[3] in the district^[4] are at risk of closure as a result of HR1. 

 

The town hall is a forum to ask questions about healthcare cuts that could impact ability to receive care.