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Now that we know the Greater New York Hospital Association had a hand in New York's policy compelling nursing homes to accept COVID-positive patients, let's review GNYHA's recent history with the Cuomo administration ...
In March 2018, Cuomo pressured the state's Catholic bishops to give up $2B in proceeds from the sale of Fidelis Care health plan. The money went into a "Health Care Transformation Fund" to be spent at the governor's discretion during an election year. https://www.empirecenter.org/publications/a-troubling-deal-on-fidelis/
That summer, GNHYA poured more than $1 million to Cuomo's re-election campaign, exploiting a loophole that would keep the donation secret until after his inauguration. https://www.empirecenter.org/publications/following-the-money/
Just before Election Day, in spite of a ballooning but undisclosed deficit in the state's Medicaid program, Cuomo quietly ordered a Medicaid rate hike for hospitals and nursing homes, which had been a top lobbying priority for GNYHA. https://www.empirecenter.org/publications/cuomos-stealthy-boost-for-1199/
An internal DOH analysis made clear that the rate hike was targeted to help GNYHA members settle their newly negotiated contract with the health-care workers union 1199 SEIU, another Cuomo ally. https://www.empirecenter.org/publications/who-benefited-from-medicaid-hikes/
By early 2019, unbeknownst to the public, New York Medicaid was running well over budget. Rather than closing the gap, which might have entailed lower payments to GNYHA, Cuomo secretly delayed $1.7B in payments to the next fiscal year. https://www.empirecenter.org/publications/cuomos-1-7b-medicaid-mulligan/
Although the delay immediately threw the new budget out of balance, the Cuomo administration didn't disclose what happened until months later, by which time it had spawned a $4B deficit. https://www.empirecenter.org/publications/cuomos-self-inflicted-crisis/
When he finally moved to contain costs in early 2020, he turned the job over to a Medicaid Redesign Team cochaired by Michael Dowling of Northwell, a top official of GNYHA and long-time Cuomo adviser, as well as former 1199 chief Dennis Rivera. https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-members-medicaid-redesign-team-ii
The MRT was still deliberating when the pandemic hit. In mid-March, as newly reported by @WSJ, GNYHA lobbied the state for a policy requiring nursing homes to accept COVID-positive patients. DOH did just that on March 25. https://www.wsj.com/articles/cuomo-covid-new-york-coronavirus-de-blasio-shutdown-timing-11599836994
GNYHA also successfully lobbied for a last-minute provision of the new state budget that would sharply limit the ability of coronavirus victims to file malpractice suits against hospitals, nursing homes and other providers. https://www.newsday.com/news/health/coronavirus/malpractice-law-coronavirus-1.46143362
In July, DOH issued a report dubiously arguing that the March 25 order was not a significant factor behind nursing home deaths.
https://www.empirecenter.org/publications/cuomo-admin-ducks-important-questions-on-nursing-homes/
Dowling, a GNYHA board member, vouched for the findings in a DOH press release. https://health.ny.gov/press/releases/2020/2020-07-06_covid19_nursing_home_report.htm
https://www.empirecenter.org/publications/cuomo-admin-ducks-important-questions-on-nursing-homes/
Dowling, a GNYHA board member, vouched for the findings in a DOH press release. https://health.ny.gov/press/releases/2020/2020-07-06_covid19_nursing_home_report.htm
Most recently, GNYHA has provided the governor with millions of dollars worth of TV exposure by featuring him in an ad campaign that touts the state's success in controlling the pandemic and encourages NYers to seek hospital care. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=gJw7UmXmvIA&feature=emb_logo
GNYHA's influence extends well beyond Albany. It's also one of the top donors to Chuck Schumer's Senate Majority PAC and reportedly played a role in killing a congressional ban on "surprise billing." https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cmte=C00484642&cycle=2018 https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/20/schumer-revealed-key-industry-ally-defeat-effort-curb-surprise-billing
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