Summary

Legislation was introduced in the 2006 session (S.6056, Hannon/A.8704, Bradley) to establish a Health Care Community Reinvestment Fund, capitalized with a portion of health insurers’ profits, to be used to enhance the state’s healthcare delivery infrastructure.

Conference Position

The New York State Catholic Conference has repeatedly called for greater public support for the health care delivery infrastructure, particularly for investment in home- and community-based health care services, as a complement to downsizing efforts.  Establishment of a Health Care Community Reinvestment Fund would provide a stable source of investment capital necessary to reshape the health care delivery system to meet the needs of all New Yorkers, and especially our growing elderly population and urban and rural low-income populations.

Rationale

The dismantling of regulated rates in the mid-1990s precipitated an imbalance between institutional providers’ and payors’ finances, which in turn has contributed to the providers’ continued precarious financial positions and an erosion of public confidence in the availability of services in time of need.

Market forces alone, however, fail to address the state’s health care needs:  an inadequate flow of revenue into the provider side drives inefficiency, as immediate concerns take precedence over long-term investment in physical plant improvement, information and management technology, acquisition of advanced medical technology, and development of an adequate workforce.

The state’s obligation to provide for the health and welfare of its citizens cannot be met without a commitment of adequate resources for the common good.  This bill would correct the imbalance experienced since the removal of regulated rates and would address the health care delivery system’s need for capital by redirecting a portion of health insurers’ profits back into the state’s health care infrastructure to finance capital investments which will benefit the providers and the payors alike, as well as business, labor, government, and health care consumers.