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Public Commentary Dear Editor: In announcing his plans to reform New York's health care system, Governor Spitzer said he wants to put patients first. Unfortunately, the cuts he would impose on health care providers would diminish their ability to care for patients. Governor Spitzer's budget proposes nearly $1 billion in hospital and nursing home reimbursement cuts. This proposal would harm health care in our communities. These cuts would force health care providers to eliminate needed services. Health care providers are still suffering from past cuts in Medicare and Medicaid and from inadequate reimbursement from private payers. Hospitals cannot withstand any more cuts and still be expected to provide the same access to the same level of services and the same level of staffing. Cutting health care providers undermines the ability to invest in life-saving advances, the health care workforce, and community health programs. Freezing Medicaid payments to providers while our costs continue to increase endangers a hospital's ability to fulfill its mission of service to its communities. These devastating cuts would cost Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center $2.4 million in critically needed funding. Hospitals cannot afford another round of health care cuts. I agree with the Governor's goal of restructuring the health care system by expanding coverage for children, increase primary care, and better coordinating care for the elderly and chronically ill- each of these elements is essential to achieving real reform. But arbitrarily cutting hospitals does not advance any of these reform goals and would instead adversely impact our ability to provide care. Most important, these health care cuts threaten New York's health care safety net. We cannot allow the Governor to jeopardize care for the neediest among us.
Richard J.Murphy President and CEO
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