by Matthew Huisman Carl Hum, president of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, said the health care bill will help expand the coverage offered to the workforce and emphasized that a healthy workforce is essential for any successful business. “From a business perspective it only makes sense that health care is provided for employees,” Hum said, referring...
Author: Matthew Huisman (Matthew Huisman)
Brooklyn’s Unhappy Republicans
by Danielle Bengsch Republicans willing to speak about the bill’s passage were either unhappy or outraged. Leon Nadrowski is a surgeon, internist and speaker for the Republicans in Brooklyn. He is also local leader of the Republican Party in the 50th Assembly District that includes Williamsburg and Greenpoint. “I find socialized medicine is on the horizon,”...
State Assemblyman Says Health Care Bill’s Reach Remains Unknown
by Mary Plummer Late in the afternoon Monday, New York State Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, Democrat – 50th District, hadn’t heard a word from his constituents on the passage of yesterday’s healthcare legislation. Speaking from Albany, he said he was pleased with the passage of the healthcare bill. But he wasn’t sure exactly what the bill will...
City Councilor Says Bill Falls Short
by Matthew Huisman Longtime community activist Charles Barron, who has represented the 42nd district of Brownsville and Canarsie as well as parts of East New York and Flatbush for nine years, said the new health care bill creates more questions than it answers due to the size and scale of the legislation. “Before the bill...
Apprehension Among Brooklyn Pharmacists
by Danielle Bengsch The reaction among a sampling of Brooklyn pharmacists to the bill’s passage ranges skepticism to confusion about what its impact will be. “We just don’t know yet what is going to happen,” said Derek Durham of Prospect Garden Pharmacy in Park Slope. He hopes to get some information from the pharmaceutical board....
Nursing Homes Wary of Health Care Change
by Sarah Butrymowicz It’s too soon to say how nursing homes in the Bronx – and all over the country – will feel the impact of the health care bill, but there are some causes for concern, experts say. Patrick Cucinelli, senior director of public policy solutions at New York Association of Homes and Services...
“This will mean less time with each patient” – Brooklyn Doc
by K. S. Nikhil Kumar A Brooklyn doctor of 25 years believes that the health care reform legislation is not the right direction to be moving in because it puts more pressure on professionals like him, instead of on the insurance industry. The number of patients will increase as a result of the reform he...
Worries at Montefiore Medical Center
by Selamawit Gebrekidan At the Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx there is concern that the new bill will cut in half the annual funds the hospital had received from the government for low-income patient care. The medical center expects to receive only $50 million in what is known as the Disproportionate Share Hospital fund....
No Coverage for Illegal Immigrants
by Sam Fellman The sweeping health care reform bill passed by Congress will benefit many immigrants, who now qualify for tax credits and more affordable insurance. However, because it bars undocumented immigrants from the new private insurance exchanges, critics say it runs counter to the goal of greater access to health care. The city estimates...
Let the Healing Begin
President Barack Obama signed the health care bill into law this morning. The New York Times has coverage of the signing ceremony in Washington. Okay, whoop-de-do. What does it mean for the everyday citizen? The New York Times also published a comprehensive story on what the bill means for consumers.