New York State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), Senate Health Committee Chairman Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City) and Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council President Kevin Dahill to express their shared concern regarding the Spitzer Administration’s lack of transparency in the disclosure of information relating to the Governor’s proposed health care budget.
“Good government is based on transparency and accountability,” said Senator Skelos. “The Spitzer Administration has an obligation to disclose the information necessary to determine the true impact of the Governor’s health care cuts on our local hospitals. With the state budget due by March 31st, time is running out.”
On February 21st, Senators Skelos and Hannon and Mr. Dahill requested that Governor Spitzer direct the New York State Department of Health to release comprehensive data about the $800 million in health care cuts included within the Executive Budget. While the Department of Health released budget impact numbers for the state hospitals on February 27th, this information includes several issues that raise questions about the accuracy of these projections.
Although the Department of Health has indicated its intention to disclose the data upon which its projections were based, the continued delay in the release of this information has prevented the State Legislature and the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council from performing an independent analysis of the Governor’s health care budget.
Senators Skelos and Hannon and Mr. Dahill have rescheduled a press conference to outline the impact on Long Island’s hospitals that was planned for Friday, February 29th until after the Department of Health discloses the data and this independent analysis can be completed.
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