March 22, 2017

For 100 years, UJA-Federation of New York has been a leader in providing help to our cities’ most vulnerable. Propelled by a moral mandate stemming from both our Jewish values and our experience in supporting a vast network of health and human service agencies, UJA works with many agencies – including JCCA, the Jewish Board, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, JASA, and Northwell Health – to assist hundreds of thousands of people each year. And, together with the support of local, state and federal government, we are proud of our enduring legacy of serving New Yorkers of all backgrounds.

We have grave concerns about the potentially disastrous impact of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) on hundreds of thousands of low income New Yorkers and the organizations that serve them.

The current proposal to block grant or cap Medicaid will end the long-standing guarantee that federal Medicaid payments keep pace with the actual cost of health care, and would shift substantial costs and risks to the states, putting millions of older adults, people with disabilities and children at risk. These cost shifts would mean that previously covered populations would be turned away from vital services. These reductions will impact both social service agencies and the vulnerable clients they serve, as non-profit providers and philanthropy would be incapable of bridging these prohibitive gaps in coverage.

We are deeply concerned that the proposed AHCA legislation will devastate our frailest: the elderly, the disabled, mentally ill, developmentally disabled and children in foster care. We implore Congress to instead craft a bill that will improve Medicaid access, quality, efficiency, and sustainability, and we are happy to work with you on such a framework.

Enclosed is a letter Jewish Federations of North America, representing 148 Jewish federations, including ours, sent to Speaker Ryan and Congresswoman Pelosi further detailing our concerns and the concerns of the Jewish community across our country.

On behalf of our agencies and those they serve, we thank you for your leadership and your consideration.

Eric S. Goldstein
Chief Executive Officer
UJA-Federation of New York