With the House planning to vote this week to pass the largest Medicaid cut in American history and gut the healthcare system – all to fund President Donald Trump’s tax breaks for billionaires and wealthy corporations – U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer broke down new district-by-district data revealing this cruel GOP plan could rip away health insurance for 1.5 million New Yorkers and lead to a $13.5 billion funding crater that could cripple NY’s hospitals and healthcare economy.

“This is as cruel and heartless as it gets. Trump and House Republicans want to kick 1.5 million New Yorkers off their health insurance and rip away $13.5 billion from NY’s hospitals and healthcare economy so they can have bigger tax breaks for billionaires & corporations. NY House Republicans promised for months they would protect Medicaid, but now New Yorkers know the truth: they never intended to keep that promise, and this confirms it,” Schumer said. “We cannot let this plan go under the radar. From Long Island to the North Country, people will lose their healthcare, hospitals and nursing homes will shutter, premiums will go up, and health care workers will lose their jobs. This week is when House Republicans plan to vote on these cuts and NY House Republicans have the votes to stop it. We need everyone to make their voices heard and tell NY’s House Republicans to stand up to Trump, and stop the largest cut to healthcare in American history, because thousands of their constituents will be the first to suffer.”

Schumer said the proposed $900-plus billion cut from Medicaid and the ACA would directly impact healthcare for nearly 14 million Americans. The bill would shift billions of dollars in Medicaid costs to New York State, while simultaneously changing rules that would result in thousands of New Yorkers losing health coverage.

In Congressional District 23, which includes Chautauqua County, projections note that $13.5 million would be lost for hospitals while 34,672 residents would be at risk of losing coverage.

Overall, New York State estimates that the state will lose $13.5 billion if House Republicans’ proposed cuts go through. That includes:

— More than $7.5 billion due to cuts to Essential Plan funding.

— Nearly $3 billion due to the federal government shifting costs to the state.

— Over $3 billion due to new administrative burdens for running the Medicaid program, including burdensome work reporting requirements.

Schumer warned that Medicaid serves as a lifeline for more than 7 million New Yorkers and provides care to seniors, children, people with disabilities, and veterans across the state. Medicaid is the primary payer for long-term care in the United States, including at nursing homes and for people living at home. Medicaid pays for services for 2 in 3 nursing home residents. Almost half of all kids in the country rely on Medicaid, and 1 in 3 people with disabilities look to Medicaid for their insurance coverage. Cutting this program will leave families with nowhere to turn when they need care.

Schumer said while some Congressional Republicans claim this plan won’t cut Medicaid, this new data proves otherwise and there is no way to protect Medicaid benefits if Republicans pass these cuts. These cuts will not only hurt people who get their health insurance through Medicaid, but create new challenges for the state’s entire healthcare system. Costs will go up for everyone, with higher premiums a result of the new strain on providers like hospitals and community health centers. This bill creates burdensome red tape requirements not only for people with Medicaid, but also for people who buy insurance themselves in the marketplace.

Schumer added, “This isn’t targeting waste and fraud, this is a rushed plan to bankroll Trump’s tax breaks for the ultra-rich paid for by ripping away healthcare for New Yorkers.”

GOP cuts include hundreds of billions from the Affordable Care Act, terminating coverage for Americans who purchase their own health insurance like small business owners and family caregivers, as well as taking away tax credits that help them afford this coverage.