State Legislative Priority Issues for 2021

New York StateWide Senior Action Council (“StateWide”) urges the NYS Legislature and the Governor to address our priority concerns in the 2021 Session. We will be strong advocates on issues related to:

• response to the Coronavirus and, moving forward, adequacy of planning for disaster preparedness/public health emergencies
• the home care worker shortage
• ensuring quality of care in hospitals and nursing homes and upholding consumer rights
• universal access to broadband connectivity, especially important due to the expanded reliance on tele-health services,
• adequate funding for services for older residents, including continued funding for StateWide’s Patient Rights Helpline and Medicare & EPIC counseling programs
• improving health and prescription drug benefits
• protecting the eligibility, rights and services of Medicaid enrollees and preventing Medicaid cuts to Enhanced Safety Net Hospitals
• improving health delivery systems and access to care,
• elimination of racial and economic disparities.

To accomplish these goals, we urge adoption of various bills and specifically urge the:

• adoption of the New York Health Act, which places patients before profits, expands benefits and achieves savings for most covered New Yorkers and the state (A6058, Assy. Gottfried/S5474, Sen. Rivera)
• elimination of the self-imposed state spending cap and the Medicaid Global Cap (A226, Assy. Gottfried/S5255, Sen. Rivera) to ensure the needed investment in services,
• increase revenues by taxing those most able to afford to pay, ending the stock transfer tax rebate and ensuring that older residents on limited incomes do not face a burden of increased property taxes.

State Legislative Priority Issues for 2021 (continued)

NY Health Act (Single Payer)

StateWide supports the right of New Yorkers to have a universal, single payer health system, eliminating premiums and co-payments for access to quality health care services. For more information please see the following links:

• Campaign for New York Health (nyhcampaign.org)
• FAQ NY Health and Medicare
• VIEW RECORDING of the April 27, 2021 Future of Healthcare Webinar
• VIEW RECORDING of the FEB 18, 2021 Virtual Forum-NY Health Act