Congressman Holds Washington Bureaucrats Accountable for Threatening Care for Upstate New Yorkers
Congressman Anthony Brindisi (NY-22) stood up for Upstate seniors and children today. Brindisi called on the Office of Management and Budget to back off their proposed plan to kick many Upstate New Yorkers off their health care.
The OMB is evaluating changes to how the Federal Poverty Level is calculated. Among the proposals under consideration is moving to a different version of the Consumer Price Index to calculate annual adjustments. This unilateral change could potentially disrupt eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and care from Community Health Centers.
“This is unacceptable,” Brindisi said. “This proposal would directly affect seniors and kids in our district and reduce access to health care for thousands of Upstate New Yorkers. I was sent to Washington to protect Medicare for our seniors and access to health care for all New Yorkers. I’ll never stop defending our district from Washington bureaucrats who are out to cut care for seniors and kids.”
In a letter to OMB Director Mick Mulvaney, Brindisi outlined the consequences of the proposed policychange. In NY-22 alone, more than 150,000 seniors rely on Medicare and Medicaid, more than 188,000 patients receive care from Community Health Centers, and more than 26,000 kids are enrolled in CHIP.Outside analysis has found that this change could cause millions nationwide to lose access to care and financial security.
Brindisi’s full letter to Mulvaney can be found HERE.