Elected Officials Visit Blythedale to Hear about the Potential Impact of Medicaid Cuts

Yesterday, several New York State elected officials visited Blythedale Children’s Hospital to hear about the potential impact of Medicaid cuts based upon the President’s signing of H.R.1 earlier this month.

Led by NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the group included NYS Senator Shelley Mayer; NYS Assembly Members Amy Paulin, Gary Pretlow and Dana Levenberg; as well as Salvattore Morello, Chief of Staff to NYS Senator Jamaal T. Bailey; Alex Porco, Chief of Staff to NYS Senator Nathalia Fernandez; Morgan Slocombe, External Relations Associate for the NYS Senate representing the office of NYS Senator Pete Harckham; Alyssa Jacobs, District Director for NYS Assembly Member MaryJane Shimsky; and Maureen Porette, Chief of Staff/Legislative Director and Counsel for NYS Assembly Member Nader Sayegh. 

In a roundtable discussion with lawmakers and Blythedale’s senior leadership team, President and CEO Larry Levine expressed his deep concern over the looming Medicaid cuts that will significantly impact Blythedale’s vulnerable patients and families. Currently, 78% of Blythedale’s patients are dependent on Medicaid for their complex medical care.

“We’ve begun modeling out the impact of the cuts outlined in H.R.1, and they are devastating for our families, as well as our ability to provide the essential programs and services they rely on for their recovery and return to their homes and communities,” he said. “If you protect Blythedale, we can protect these vulnerable children.”

“Blythedale Children’s Hospital is a lifeline for some of our most medically fragile children,” said NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. “For generations, it has offered not just expert care, but compassion, hope, and dignity to families facing extraordinary challenges. That’s why the potential impact of federal cuts is so cruel for institutions like Blythedale, who rely on Medicaid to make their highly specialized care accessible. I am happy to work with Blythedale and my colleagues at every level of government to explore ways to continue caring for these medically fragile children. This situation is a real-life example of why we need our federal elected officials to rescind these devastating cuts.”

Mr. Levine asked the legislators to consider in their deliberations exempting specialty children’s hospitals like Blythedale from the cuts, noting that medically fragile children represent a mere 7/10ths of one percent of the State’s children, and Blythedale accounts for a miniscule percent of the State’s $50 billion Medicaid budget.

Mr. Levine thanked the legislators for their enthusiastic sponsorship and support of Chapter 170 of the Laws of New York State enacted almost two years ago. This landmark legislation that Mr. Levine drafted and lobbied for (along with Blythedale’s public policy counsel Manatt Health) sets clear standards and imposes specific requirements for determining ‘medical necessity’ on Medicaid managed care companies and commercial health insurers for medically fragile children.

Mr. Levine also expressed his deep gratitude to the legislative leaders for their support of two other pieces of legislation that he drafted over the years, and were signed into law, which improved access to care for medically fragile kids. The legislators noted Blythedale’s approach has always been to seek strong bipartisan support to advance the interests of this most vulnerable pediatric population. 

“Blythedale is a lifeline for children with the most complex medical needs and for the families who depend on their care,” said Assemblywoman Amy Paulin. “The proposed Medicaid cuts would have a catastrophic impact on these vulnerable patients. We have a moral obligation to ensure that specialty children’s hospitals like Blythedale are protected and fully funded so they can continue delivering the critical, compassionate care every child deserves.”

Following the discussion, attendees toured the hospital and met with physicians and patient families.

“Blythedale Children’s Hospital provides essential, life-saving care to medically fragile children, and the potential of losing federal funding would be devastating,” said State Senator Shelley B. Mayer. “Throughout decades of service in our community, Blythedale has shown its commitment to understanding the children it cares for as individuals, rather than defining them by the limitations of their medical conditions or disabilities. There should never be a time when care for our community’s most vulnerable children is cut. We must find a path forward so that Blythedale can continue to provide the vital care our most medically fragile children need.”