BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Western New York healthcare workers joined community leaders Friday in Niagara Square to protest Governor Kathy Hochul's proposed healthcare cuts.
Governor Hochul's proposed budget contains millions of dollars in cuts to health services and fails to fund Medicaid.
"More and more we're seeing corporate greed coming into education, healthcare, and housing," said Cary Lane of the Union of American Physicians and Dentists. "It's important that we all stand united to get the best education, healthcare, and housing for our residents."
Protesters say they are also against wage cuts for home health aids.
"I have family members that can't get the right care because a lot of these hospitals don't take Medicaid anymore like they used to," said Ashanti Phillips of Oishei Children's Hospital.
7 News reporter Yoselin Person reached out to Governor Hochul's office and a spokesperson released the following statement:
“Governor Hochul's executive budget makes record-setting investments in New York's future while ensuring the state remains on a stable long-term fiscal trajectory, and she will work with the legislature to craft a final budget that achieves these goals.”
"It's a federal issue. The federal government doesn't fund us enough for Medicaid and we got to fill in the difference with state taxpayers," said Senator Sean Ryan. "But this is a broken system across all the 50 states. New York State can do what it can do, but we got to fix this at the federal level."
The state budget is due April 1.
"These unions, these hospital workers, these people, and these patients need to be heard and they need to be helped," said Phillips.
