ABOVE: Yonkers State Senator Shelley Mayer (center) speaks at April 27 town hall meeting. PHOTO: Journal News.

A so-called town-hall meeting promoting The New York Health Act – the latest version of an Albany takeover of health care and hospitalization that Dems have been pushing for – and that NY voters have rejected four times over the past 32 years – took place on April 27 at the Yonkers Public Library. Debbie Kozak was there; this is her report.

By Debbie Kozak, President | Northwest Yonkers Republican Club

Democrats are at it again Yonkers and the latest iteration of government control is focused on our healthcare. Two of our locally elected officials, Senator Shelley Mayer and Assemblyman Nader Sayegh, are sponsors of the bill.

Senator Mayer held a Town Hall at the Will Library ‘to start a conversation with the public’ of the proposed legislation.

On her panel of experts were former Assemblyman Dick Gottfried, retired dermatologist Dr. Betsey Rosenthal, Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, RN, president of the NYS Nurses Association and Dr. Betty Kolod of Mount Sinai.

Noticeably absent from this important Town Hall was the Assembly’s co-sponsor Nader Sayegh.

The New York Health Act, if passed, would enact single-payer universal healthcare to “all residents” living in the State regardless of legal status or income level. Some of the key takeaways from the Town Hall are:

1) Would be funded through a progressive tax (on taxpayers) income. That income would include earned and unearned income — think dividends earned on retirement accounts that you reinvest.

2) Those that live in another state (NJ, CT, PA) but work in NYS would be covered by NY Health. Not sure if the person’s family would be covered as well.

3) No one would be permitted to purchase a supplemental health insurance policy. Your only option is to accept the care that NY Health approves or pay out of pocket for the services your doctor wants/you need.

4) If you move/relocate out of NYS the NY Health insurance benefits terminate. Good luck if you want to retire to a more tax-friendly state or closer to a loved one. You’re on your own.

5) The cost of the plan was not presented, nor the cost for the individuals.

Gottfried stated that we could afford the services because of the tens of billions of dollars in savings that we get from taking insurance companies out of the picture.

Gottfreid lamented how his parents, who saved money their whole lives, spent nearly all of it on home care in their latter years.

I scratched my head wondering why that was an issue. They got to spend their earnings on private homecare, which is exactly what the proposed socialized healthcare system would be offering.

This partisan bill is pure socialism. Forbidding an individual from purchasing a supplemental health insurance policy is unconstitutional.

The outcomes of a government owned and administered health care would be detrimental to the health and well-being of the very people it intended to help.

Knowing the government as we do, how long do you think it would take for the State to approve a procedure your doctor submits for authorization?

The New York Health Act should never make it out of Committee. Please call your State Senator & Assemblyman and tell them to vote “NO” on this healthcare destroying Act. ##

Debbie Kozak can be reached via www.deb4westchester.com, and nwyonkersrc@gmail.com