New York’s most vulnerable patients are not getting the care they deserve because our true safety net hospitals aren’t getting the funding they so desperately need. Safety net hospitals provide a significant level of care for low-income, uninsured, rural areas, and vulnerable populations. They are the backbone of New York’s health care system. Millions of patients depend on them. 

The 2015-16 legislative session ended with a huge victory for New York’s safety net hospitals. The Enhanced Safety Net Hospital bill (A.9476A/S.6948-A) passed unanimously! It now awaits Governor Cuomo’s signature.

If signed, this legislation will:

• Create a more equal state funding formula for rural and urban safety-net hospitals;
• Create a new, dedicated funding category called “enhanced safety-net hospital”;
• Enable public hospitals, critical access and sole community rural hospitals and private hospitals that care for a high number of uninsured and Medicaid patients to receive higher reimbursement to make up for their uncompensated costs.

The financial health of the safety-net hospital system is not just important for the communities and patients these hospitals serve. If our safety-net system collapses, it will cause a financial and patient care crisis that will ripple across New York.

Tell Governor Cuomo to sign The Enhanced Safety Net Hospital bill (A.9476A/S.6948-A) today!