“Because having health is not a privilege, it is a right that the rich should not take away from the working class”.
Jenny Hernández’s son was diagnosed with morbid obesity at the age of 19 and needed gastric bypass surgery. When he went to the hospital for life, they told him he had to pay more than $25,000, which he couldn’t afford in the midst of a pandemic.
“My son’s health was at stake when he was only 19, and it’s unfair that we have to choose hospitals that are far away, that are difficult for us to reach, that appointments are a bit inconvenient. In my case, I work to accompany my son, only because a private hospital wants to make the prices he wants, ”said Hernández, a member of the 32BJ union.
Hernández.
For this reason, various councilors together with the workers’ unions presented the draft Health Responsibility and Consumer Protection Law at the mayor’s office on Wednesday.
Union 32BJ posted a message on social media about the event where the bill was introduced.
“All New Yorkers are affected by rising health care costs. This is why we need to stop allowing big wealthy hospitals to charge these unnecessarily high prices. We need to pass #HACPA now!” reads the message.
“Every New Yorker is affected by rising health care costs. That’s why we need to stop letting big rich hospitals charge these unnecessary high prices. We have to pass #HACPA now!” pic.twitter.com/WGr5qvaB0e
— 32BJ SEIU /// #UnionStrong 💪💪🏻💪🏽💪🏿 (@32BJSEIU) December 7, 2022
“This office, proposed in the new legislation, would create an office that would be the first in the nation to review costs in hospitals, costs of health care services for consumers, and we think that would be very important to our community. often receives ‘bilés’, receives expenses without knowing what to expect,” said Henry Garrido, executive director of union 32BJ.
Historically, the detailed information on the prices that different hospitals charge for their services has been hidden from the public, with inconsistent rates plunging people into massive medical debt.
“It is a situation of economic justice, 60% of people have health debts, and moreover everyone is afraid because the salary does not increase, but everything has increased. It is a very serious situation, this is a step to ask hospitals to put their their public prices, this is transparent,” said Alexa Avilés, councilor for the 38th district.
In addition, the office will take care of:
Accountability that would verify the exponential health care costs of city employees and make recommendations on how to reduce them.
Ensure that hospitals respond to community needs through charitable work, by virtue of their non-profit status.
According to the councilors, 10% of the municipal budget is destined for out-of-control medical care. With this bill, they will for the first time have the ability to use the city’s purchasing power to improve a health care system that works for all New Yorkers.
