Hochul: 'Big Ugly Bill' will devastate Medicaid and SNAP recipients, hospitals

STATEWIDE — GOV. KATHY HOCHUL warned on Friday that the Republicans' recently passed "Big Ugly Bill" will be "devastating" to millions of New Yorkers, with a draconian elimination of Medicaid and SNAP benefits and cuts to hospitals.

The funding cuts will eliminate Essential Plan health insurance coverage for two million residents; cut Medicaid for up to 1.3 million more; and raise uncompensated care costs to hospitals and providers by more than $3 billion annually, Hochul said. An analysis by the state's major healthcare associations shows a total of $8 billion in annual cuts to hospitals and health systems.

In addition, SNAP costs to state and local governments are expected to rise as much as $1.4 billion annually, with more punitive and complex work requirements, having a knock-on effect on farmers and retailers.

"I've been very clear: no state can fully undo the damage in this bill or backfill cuts of this scale," Governor Hochul said. "I'm working with the Legislature to brace for the impact."

"This bill is a betrayal of the people we are meant to serve. It turns its back on our most vulnerable … [and] is a giveaway to the wealthy, sacrificing the needs of hard-working families for billionaires' gain," Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon (D-Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens) said in a statement.

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