Approved October 8, 2019 – Reaffirmed March 9, 2021

GREATER UTICA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION OF A PROPOSED “NEW YORK HEALTH ACT”

WHEREAS, the New State Legislature is currently considering Assembly bill A.5248 and Senate bill S.3577 that would create a single-payer health care system mandated on all New Yorkers that would abolish all private health care insurance; and

WHEREAS, the proposed legislation has passed the Assembly for the past four years, but was not passed in the Senate; and

WHEREAS, the State Senate is now ruled by the same party as the Assembly, thus increasing the likelihood of passage in the Senate; and

WHEREAS, the current health care system covers approximately 95% of New Yorkers and would be needlessly dismantled; and

WHEREAS, the proposed the legislation would require a tax increase estimated by the RAND Corporation at $139 billion initially, increasing to $160 billion for add-ons, and increasing to $210 billion by 2031; and

WHEREAS, such a tax increase would represent an initial increase of 159% above the current level of approximately $90 billion in tax receipts; and

WHEREAS, the proposed single-payer system would eliminate an estimated 150,000 jobs across New York, including numerous jobs in the Mohawk Valley region; and

WHEREAS, the proposed new system would attempt to force health care providers to accept lower payments for services and would result in rationing of services, longer patient wait times, and a lower quality of medical attention overall;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce does hereby oppose the proposed “New York Health Act” legislation to abolish private health insurance and replace it with a single-payer, government health care program