New York City – In the wake of the Berger commission’s recommendations released earlier today, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn & Queens), elected officials and concerned residents gathered outside Parkway Hospital in Queens to protest the recommended closure of Parkway and other New York City healthcare institutions targeted by the Commission.  In response to the news, Rep. Weiner unveiled a seven point plan to put New York’s hospitals on a solid financial footing, eliminating the need for drastic closures.

Governor Pataki’s Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century, also known as the Berger Commission, recommended closing six New York City hospitals, including Parkway Hospital, this morning – hospitals that provide vital services to the communities they serve.

Standing outside Parkway Hospital in Queens, Rep. Weiner and concerned residents highlighted the importance of the facility that has provided care to Forest Hills and Rego Park for nearly four decades.  Rep. Weiner also unveiled a seven point plan to put New York’s healthcare institutions on the road to financial recovery without resorting to drastic closures.

THE WEINER 7 POINT PLAN:

1. Ease and Expedite Mergers & Affiliations to Eliminate Redundancy: To take advantage of synergies and costs savings resulting from mergers and affiliations, the process should be simplified so hospitals can expedite their plans to join together.  In the case of Parkway, Rep. Weiner and local elected officials signed onto a letter asking Mount Sinai Hospital to expedite its pending affiliation with Parkway.  Under the new agreement, Mt. Sinai will receive referrals from Parkway doctors, and Parkway’s quality assurance will be handled by Mt. Sinai.

2. Change Medicaid Reimbursement Formula to Benefit All NYC Hospitals: Currently, the federal Medicaid reimbursement rate varies from state to state based on per capita income.  For example, the federal government reimburses 76% of Mississippi’s Medicaid expenses while New York only receives 50%.  Rep. Weiner will revive a proposal championed by the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan to tweak the formula, putting New York at parity with other states over the next five years.  More federal healthcare money will free up state funds for New York’s hospitals.

3. Allow Hospitals to Band Together in Negotiations with Insurance Companies: Currently, insurance companies have the upper hand in negotiating reimbursement rates with hospitals and, while hospitals are in the red, insurance companies are thriving.  The system is gravely out of balance.  Rep. Weiner will introduce legislation allowing hospitals to band together to negotiate reimbursement rates with insurance companies, wringing cost savings through economies of scale.

4. Reduce Paperwork and Create Systemwide Administrative Efficiencies: Currently, many doctors perform the same procedure on dozens of patients each week – but are required to fill out different sets of paperwork for each one.  That’s because each insurance company mandates that their forms be filled out – rather than allowing doctors to use a universal form to reduce the red tape that drains as much as $85 billion from the health care funding stream.  Rep. Weiner will introduce legislation that reduces wasteful bureaucracy and creates administrative efficiencies through the implementation of a unified insurance claim form

5. Give New York City Authority Over its Own Hospitals: Currently, decisions about who gets to build new medical centers, which hospitals get to expand and establish new departments, and which get to purchase new equipment are made by the Governor, in Albany. The Mayor should have the authority to make these decisions for New York City hospitals.

6. Use Medicaid Fraud Damages to Help Subsidize Troubled Hospitals: Each year the State spends more than $44 billion dollars on Medicaid, a quarter of which comes from the City, but there is virtually no fraud oversight. To improve oversight, Governor-elect Spitzer wants to give the State authority to recover treble damages where fraud is proven. A portion of the revenue generated from increased penalties should be used to help subsidize the City’s financially troubled hospitals.

7. Build Health Networks Between Hospitals and Churches: The Institute for Urban Family Health used a federal grant to create Bronx Health REACH: a program that brought together 14 churches, NYU, health care organizations and others to increase awareness in the Bronx about preventative care and the treatment of diseases like Diabetes. The City should take an active role in facilitating networks modeled on Bronx Health REACH in all five boroughs.

Weiner will introduce his plan as a legislative package when the 110th Congress convenes next January.  Among other efforts organized to save Parkway, a petition is being circulated at senior centers – a “Take Me to Parkway” petition.

 “The cure doesn’t match the disease.  The hospital system has pneumonia and the Commission wants to perform amputations,” said Rep. Weiner.  While they had many tools at their disposal, at the end of the day the Commission only used the scalpel.”