To the editor:

Dear North Country,

I am writing to you today to urge you to contact Rep. Stefanik, our House Representative, to vote no on federal budget cuts to the Medicaid and Medicare programs. As a neighbor and a nurse, I know how many of you have worked hard your whole lives, and continue to work hard, despite circumstances that challenge your physical, mental and financial health. Over 30% of Rep. Stefanik’s constituents are enrolled in Medicaid, and our rural hospitals, like Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake and the UVM Community Hospital in Elizabethtown, rely on Medicaid and Medicare funds to stay open.

These hospitals and health centers are central to our community, and do so much work with such limited resources. Imagine if these hospitals and health centers continued to do this work but lost even more funding as a result of federal budget cuts to the Medicaid and Medicare. This would likely mean even less doctors and nurses, and longer wait times at all healthcare facilities across the North Country. That doesn’t take into account the lost revenue that these healthcare facilities will face, as they will see less reimbursement from Medicaid and Medicare, and treat more patients who lost their health insurance as a result of these federal budget cuts. If people are un-enrolled in Medicaid due to these cuts, they will have to pay out of pocket for their healthcare, but who has thousands of dollars on hand to pay this? People not having insurance results in hospitals not getting their full payments, and the people of the North Country going into debt.

If the federal government slashes the Medicaid and Medicare funding, more pressure will be placed solely on New York State to compensate for this change, if they are to continue to provide care for large populations of people across the state. This will lead to higher state taxes for everyone. Rep. Stefanik has indicated her approval of the current federal budget plan, which aims to make massive cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, yet, this would significantly hurt her constituents, the hard-working people of the North Country. Tell Rep. Stefanik to remember she represents us, the North Country, and not Washington or billionaire’s interests, and to vote NO against cuts to Medicaid and Medicare.

Sincerely,

Ashley Van Slyke

Saranac Lake