Low Medicaid rates and rising operating costs have made getting access to abortion care in New York not as simple as it seems, POLITICO’s Katelyn Cordero reports. New York Democrats have positioned the state as a safe haven for abortion care, and while the state invested millions in grant funding, that support has not prevented clinics from closing or reducing services. The state’s largest abortion care provider, Planned Parenthood of the Greater New York, announced last month it had to lay off 21 workers and close four of its facilities. Wendy Stark, the group’s executive director, is hopeful it will resume some of the reduced services with help from the state but is sober to the realities of what’s possible. “We’re essentially trapped in a broken health care system,” Stark said in an interview with POLITICO. “We as a not-for-profit health care provider are grappling with soaring operating costs, and at the same time private insurance reimbursement and public health care reimbursement — specifically Medicaid — have remained largely stagnant over the years. So it’s a faulty formula,” she added. Lawmakers say they want a recurring source of funding. Some contend that should come in the form of increased Medicaid reimbursement rates for the abortion pill, which accounts for the majority of abortion procedures clinics provide. Others favor a recurring fund — which would have to be negotiated into the budget and which providers could count on to cover growing expenses and salaries. Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Legislature included a one-time, $35 million fund for abortion care in the 2022 budget. About $25 million of those funds are flowing through the state Health Department to support abortion access, and an additional $10 million is going toward security at clinics. An additional $35 million in the state budget was included as an Abortion Provider Support Fund, and will be used to support access statewide — but it is a one-time funding stream that’s being directed toward what’s viewed as a much more costly issue. IN OTHER NEWS: — Montefiore Medical Center was awarded a $2.5 million grant that will go towards the Bronx Health Outcomes Project’s work on HIV medical and support services, the health system announced Monday. The project will develop a new model of care for HIV patients that takes social factors into consideration, with the addition of social workers, community health workers and a patient navigator. Four hundred people will be enrolled in the four-year project — a partnership between the allergy and immunology division of the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, the Montefiore Behavioral Health team and Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center. — Northern Westchester Hospital will receive $500,000 in state grant funding to construct a rapid-access area as part of a larger emergency department expansion, state Sen. Pete Harckham announced. The facility will include three exam rooms, two treatment rooms and a clinical care station for patients with non-critical issues. It is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The $2.8 million expansion responds to an increasing number of patients seeking emergency medical care, a broader pattern in New York . Northern Westchester Hospital received over 33,000 ER visits in 2022, up from about 30,000 the year before. ON THE AGENDA: — Wednesday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The state Public Health and Health Planning Council’s public health committee will convene. GOT TIPS? Send story ideas and feedback to Maya Kaufman at mkaufman@politico.com and Katelyn Cordero at kcordero@politico.com. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro . You’ll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day’s biggest stories.
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