A group of Queens elected officials gathered at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens in Jamaica on Tuesday, March 18, to rally against a Republican-led budget resolution that they say could jeopardize Medicaid benefits for hundreds of thousands of local residents.
The Medicaid Day of Action press conference, part of a coordinated series of events held nationwide, was led by U.S. Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-5th District) and Grace Meng (D-6th District). The lawmakers condemned the proposed federal budget, which instructs the House Energy and Commerce Committee to slash federal spending by $880 billion over the next decade.
The committee has jurisdiction over Medicaid, Medicare, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). While the resolution directs that Medicare funding remain untouched, House Democrats argue that Medicaid will bear the brunt of the cuts—potentially affecting millions across the country, including hundreds of thousands in Queens.
Meeks and Meng were joined by NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens CEO Neil Moore and City Council Members Lynn Schulman, Sandra Ung, and Selvena Brooks-Powers, all of whom expressed deep concern over the consequences of reduced Medicaid funding.
According to Moore, nearly 70% of patients served within the NYC Health + Hospitals system rely on Medicaid for care, underscoring the program’s essential role in the city’s healthcare infrastructure.
Meeks emphasized that the Medicaid Day of Action was a meaningful way to raise awareness of the importance of Medicaid for Americans. “Medicaid is not utilized by just one group; it’s not just Democrats, it’s not just Republicans, and it’s not just people from the East Coast or the West Coast… It’s each and every one of us, rural and urban,” Meeks said.
He added that Medicaid and healthcare should be a right for all and not a “privilege for some.”
Meeks explained that in his district, 312,918 constituents on Medicaid are at risk of losing their health care under the recently passed budget plan.
Meeks asserted that the Republican members’ motivation in cutting the Medicaid budget by over $800 billion was to have money available for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
In referencing a recent tele-town hall held by his office, Meeks said the number one issue that constituents brought up was concerns about their access to Medicaid. “There are a lot of children [on Medicaid], they are concerned about that, there are a lot of seniors, on Medicaid, they are concerned about that, and they are all asking, can you help us? What is going to happen to Medicaid?” Meeks said. He added that it is time for elected officials to unite and stop the proposed budget cuts.
Following Meeks’ remarks, Meng said it is vital to illuminate the effects massive Medicaid reductions could have on New Yorkers. Meng also condemned the mass firings of federal workers and the freezing and pulling back of federal funding, calling them deeply “disturbing.”
“This also includes the push to make catastrophic cuts to Medicaid. The Republican’s slashing of Medicaid would wreak havoc on Queens. It would take away the essential health care from low-income individuals, as well as children, the sick and the elderly people across our borough,” she said.
Meng explained over 280,000 people living in her district depend on Medicaid for prescriptions, doctor appointments, and preventative exams. She added that she is concerned about what cuts to Medicaid funding would have on medical facilities, including NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens. “So many rely on this facility, and the Medicaid reimbursements it receives are essential to keeping its doors open to the public,” she said.
Council Member Lynn Schulman, who chairs the City Council’s Health Committee, gave a stark example of what could happen to the Department of Mental Health and Hygiene if Medicaid cuts were enacted.
According to Schulman, two-thirds of the budget for the Department of Mental Health and Hygiene is paid for by federal Medicaid money. If funding is removed, access to vaccines will be affected, and clinics and other medical resources will be shut down. “ This goes way deeper than somebody not being able to go to the hospital and see a doctor. This goes to the heart of our society,” Schulman said.
Schulman explained to QNS that she is being proactive in finding solutions for Medicaid recipients in the wake of potential massive budget cuts. The Health Committee will hold a preliminary budget hearing with the Department of Mental Health and Hygiene this month to understand the scope of the agency’s financial needs if Medicaid funding is removed.
