by Evan Lukaske
For months, New York Republicans have used the Faso-Collins Amendment to justify their support for the cruel and destructive Republican repeal bill. With the amendment’s inclusion in the Senate repeal bill, the chest beating has only increased.
Unfortunately, facts and data directly refute their claims that the amendment would offer tax relief to New York families. The truth is that the amendment represents a massive tax shift onto the backs of state taxpayers, and would decimate hospitals and patient care in the Empire State.
- The New York Times reported that the Faso-Collins Amendment “could shift [$2.3 billion] in costs to state taxpayers or deny New York that same total in matching federal aid if the state continues to require those counties to contribute to the cost of Medicaid.”
- Healthcare advocates warned that the amendment would “give ‘the appearance of tax relief,’ but would really just amount to shifting costs from counties to the state, while still leaving patients in need of care” and “could pose a risk to hospitals and their patients.”
- The Post-Standard reported that the amendment “would force New York to pick up about $2.3 billion in Medicaid costs now paid by county governments” which state officials said “could force the state to raise income taxes.”
- The potential tax shift would harm both Downstate and Upstate counties. The fiscally conservative think tank Empire Center found that “the biggest potential losers would be Saratoga and Warren counties” and that Long Island counties Nassau and Suffolk are “also likely to be on the losing end.” Representatives Elise Stefanik, Peter King and Lee Zeldin represent these counties, respectively.
- The National Association of Medicaid Directors highlighted that that “no amount of administrative or regulatory flexibility” would be able to compensate for the Republican bill’s Medicaid funding cuts.
- The heads of 10 Medicaid insurers told lawmakers that “there are no hidden efficiencies that states can use to address [Medicaid funding] gaps of this magnitude without harming beneficiaries or imposing undue burden to our health care system and all U.S. taxpayers.”
“New York Republicans must explain to voters why shifting the tax burden onto the backs of state taxpayers bought their support for the disastrous and cruel Republican repeal bill
Editor’s note: Evan Lukaske is spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.