United Hospital Fund of New York

"Medicalizing" social needs like access to healthy food, transportation, and educational opportunities is a band-aid, but not a cure, to addressing systemic inequities in health and health care, UHF President and CEO Oxiris Barbot writes. Read her full commentary here: https://lnkd.in/eGie7fg7

Organizations like United Hospital Fund of New York and our partners at AIRnyc continue to advocate for the protection of #Medicaid and health equity measures that support all New Yorkers' access to health care and full, healthy lives. The 1115 waiver extends coverage for low-income families in New York and is the difference between receiving critical services and not for some families. #MedicaidAwarenessMonth

UHF is proud this #MedicaidAwarenessMonth to highlight our role working with New York State Department of Health to bridge #publichealth, #socialservices, and #healthcare delivery for New York Medicaid beneficiaries.    New York’s current 1115 waiver amendment uses a multi-pronged approach to strengthen the integration of social services and health care delivery.      Watch below to hear UHF CEO and President Oxiris Barbot, MD, reflect on the goals of the 1115 waiver at UHF's 2024 Medicaid Conference.

“There’s all sorts of dealmaking going on in Washington these days,” said Peter Newell, director of UHF’s Health Insurance Project and author of the Health Watch brief. “But the next couple of months will tell if our elected representatives, particularly those members of the House and Senate majorities, will protect the interests of all New Yorkers in a budget deal, and not just those of the wealthiest households.”

NEW: A brewing budget deal in Congress spells trouble for NY's health coverage gains, according to a new UHF Health Watch brief.    The potential deal—which may fund the extension of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act with deep reductions in federal Medicaid spending—will have a negative impact on New York State, health care providers, and the millions of New Yorkers who rely on Medicaid and Affordable Care Act programs for their health coverage, the brief notes. For many, possible health care premium increases will swallow tax decreases.    The Health Watch brief includes detailed tables showing the impact on families in three New York counties and in Arlington, Texas:    -For example, a Rockland County family of four with an income of $125,000 could see premiums rise by an estimated $19,500 annually, but a tax decrease of just $3,800.  -An individual in Arlington, TX earning about $20,000 annually would see premium increases more than triple the size of a tax decrease    Read the brief here: https://lnkd.in/dufjA9Aw

This #NationalPublicHealthWeek, UHF highlights the importance of New York City's public health funding. UHF was one of 80 organizations that sent a letter to state officials demanding the restoration of a public health investment known as Article 6, which was stripped in 2019. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ebYsRR6n

It's #MedicaidAwarenessMonth! Let's look at the numbers. In New York, Medicaid:     -Provides health insurance for nearly 7 million people  -Pays for 49% of births   -Covers 44% of children   -Pays for 64% of nursing home residents' care      Learn more about how Medicaid is vital to NY here: https://lnkd.in/eVSyT5dY      Or, check out UHF's public health insurance dashboards for more data: https://lnkd.in/eDVBDWEU 

Save the date! UHF's 2025 Annual Medicaid Conference will be held Wednesday, July 30 at the New York City Bar Association. The event will run from 8:30am to 4pm and include a keynote address by New York State Department of Health Medicaid Director Amir Bassiri Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eBQgmKNj

United Hospital Fund and Greater New York Hospital Association have welcomed Class 16 of the Clinical Quality Fellowship Program! The 29 fellows, who will be trained as the next generation of quality improvement leaders, celebrated the start of the program with a retreat in Armonk, NY over the weekend. Read more about the new class here: https://lnkd.in/ezQV5F2i

The importance of early childhood literacy is "front and center" at Harmony Healthcare Long Island's five Nassau County pediatric sites after a partnership with United Hospital Fund. “We, as pediatricians, know the outcomes for children who have literacy in their lives from day one—they turn out to be more financially successful, have better jobs, and overall have better health and well-being as a result,” said Suanne Kowal-Connelly, MD, director of pediatrics and pediatric clinical quality. “The bottom line is it helps people grow up healthier.” Harmony is one of 13 participants in UHF's literacy project, which helped integrate literacy strategies into pediatric practices. Read more about their project here: https://lnkd.in/eSh72h2s