Healthcare as a right, not a privilege

I firmly believe that healthcare is a human right. The size of your bank account or the type of insurance you have should not determine the quality of care you receive. The fact that in New York we have millionaires and billionaires who own multiple houses or luxury yachts while hard working people are struggling to keep up with medical bills or forgoing medication due to cost is completely immoral. The goal of healthcare should be to keep people healthy. However under capitalism, its goal is to make as much profit as possible. We must ensure that all people have access to high quality healthcare regardless of their age, insurance or immigration status. We must stop predatory insurance companies from getting rich off of people’s illnesses. 

The decisions and inaction of our New York legislature have left our healthcare system underfunded, understaffed and ill-equipped to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Even in the midst of the pandemic, we are now facing a Cuomo austerity budget that includes unjustified and damaging cuts to virtually all forms of healthcare. In the last 20 years, we have lost 19 hospitals with many more facing potential bankruptcy and closure. In these unprecedented times we need to fight against Cuomo’s cuts and for full funding of our health services. Healthcare is a right and should be free and accessible to all.

Pass the New York Health Act - (Bill #: A5248/ S3577)

Similar to Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All Bill, this would ensure all New Yorker’s have access to free healthcare and eliminate private insurance companies in our state. The New York Health Act would eliminate premiums and copayments as well as provide healthcare, including vision, dental, home health aides and mental health, to all New Yorkers regardless of immigration status. Every day, New Yorkers are going without basic medical care, including regular checkups, vision care, dental care, and prescription drugs. We live in one of the richest states in the richest country in the history of the world. No one should be denied coverage or care based on their ability to pay.

Fully fund hospitals

We have lived through 19 hospital closures in New York City since the year 2000. This would be unprecedented in a lifetime, but in two short decades it’s a catastrophe. To add insult to injury, a panel convened by Governor Cuomo proposed about $400 million in cuts to hospitals this March. This includes cuts to safety net hospitals which have a legal obligation or mission to provide healthcare regardless of insurance status or ability to pay and largely serve low income and undocumented residents. As a state Assemblyperson, I will fight to fully fund our hospitals and bring struggling hospitals under public ownership.

Enact the Safe Staffing for Quality of Care Act (Bill #: A2954 / S1032)

The number of patients assigned to each nurse has a direct impact on the quality of care that nurse can provide. New York hospitals routinely overload nurses with  patients per nurse. Studies have found that staffing at these high rates result in an 5 additional deaths per 1,000 patients, compared to ratios of 4 patients to 1 nurse. Safe staffing will provide better quality of care and better outcomes and will save lives.

Abolishing Medical Debt

No one should go into debt just to stay alive. Many New Yorkers are crushed with medical debt that prevents them from moving into the middle class. This process only serves to make banks and insurance companies richer on the backs of working people. I would propose eliminating medical debt for all New Yorkers.