Assemblywoman Paulin

Paulin is working to restore health care funding for our families

The executive budget tried to cut health care last year by $2 billion before the bipartisan legislature defeated it. This year, the executive budget proposes more cuts, including:

• $1.1 billion in cuts to Medicaid, which means a loss of 34,600 jobs and decreased health care coverage
• $60 million from the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) – driving pharmacies out of the program and making prescription drugs less available
• a “sick tax” on hospitals, nursing homes and home health care agencies that will cost these providers $429 million

Protecting local hospitals and nursing homes

Paulin will stand up to the executive budget’s health care cuts, which, according to the Healthcare Association of New York State, could cost local hospitals and nursing homes in the 88th Assembly District.

Local hospitals and nursing homes affected by the governor’s proposed cuts include:

• Westchester Medical Center will lose nearly $2.7 million
• White Plains Hospital will lose $847,000
• Sound Shore Medical Center of Westchester will lose $623,000
• Lawrence Hospital Center will lose $524,000
• Helen and Michael Schaffer Extended Care Center will lose $486,000
• Schnurmacher Nursing Home will lose $97,000

Paulin is fighting for local Medicaid relief

The governor’s local Medicaid relief proposal doesn’t go far enough, saving counties $24 million in the next fiscal year – less than 1 percent of their Medicaid bill. The Assembly has a record of improving health care without asking local governments to pay the full tab. The Assembly has advanced plans for the state to assume a larger portion of Medicaid.

Fighting for our children’s future

If the executive budget is approved, the amount of state aid schools receive won’t keep pace with their increasing costs, forcing schools to abandon important programs.

The proposed budget would cap the amount of funding a school can receive for mandated expenses such as educating special needs children. Not only would this hamstring the schools financially, it would harm some of our most vulnerable students. The proposed budget would even restrict and defer building aid that many schools with increasing enrollments are counting on to pay for voter-approved expansion and modernization projects.

Assemblywoman Paulin’s Record: Making the right choices for our children

Last year, the governor’s proposed budget cut school aid by $1.4 billion before Assemblywoman Paulin and the Legislature made a better choice, passing a bipartisan budget to restore $1.1 billion of the cuts. This year, ignoring inflation, rising enrollments, and the need to help students meet higher standards, the executive budget contains $369 million in cuts to school funding, and fails to meet commitments to reimburse local districts. New York stands to lose:

• $99 million in funding for disabled children
• $87 million in transportation aid – money that was promised to reimburse schools for services they’ve already paid for
• $43 million in funding for BOCES
• $45 million in Teacher Support Aid
• $25 million in mentor-tutor programs

Protecting health care and education

In any community, a strong health care system and good schools are keys to its quality of life. That’s especially true in Westchester, home to several high-quality health facilities and schools that draw people to our area.

Unfortunately, the executive budget proposes cuts to both health care and education. If this budget passes, Westchester families and seniors will suffer.

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin is fighting against the cuts to improve Westchester’s quality of life.