Monday, April 21, 2025
Health care leaders and state officials rallied in Albany on Feb. 25, pushing for crucial state funding for the Nassau University Medical Center, the East Meadow-based hospital that is overseen by the Nassau Health Care Corporation.
During the rally, which took place in the Capitol Building, Megan Ryan, the corporation’s president, chief executive and chief legal officer, joined State Sen. Steve Rhoads and other legislators to press the State Legislature to include funding for the hospital in its 2025-26 budget.
“Nassau University Medical Center serves as a critical lifeline for the most vulnerable populations in Nassau County and is an irreplaceable part of Long Island’s healthcare network,” Rhoads, a Republican whose district includes NUMC, said at the rally. “Nearly 90 percent of their patients are Medicare, Medicaid or have no ability to pay. As a result, it relies upon state funding to survive. However, since 2019, NUMC has been denied hundreds of millions of dollars of state funding received by safety net hospitals in other areas.”
Rhoads cited the hospital’s Level 1 trauma center, its burn center for local first responders and those injured in fire-related incidents, and its newly established cardiac catheterization lab as crucially important elements in Nassau County and Long Island’s health care system.
“While hospitals in Westchester, Brooklyn and the Bronx have received funding, NUMC continues to be overlooked,” he added. “It is imperative that the governor and legislative leaders put politics aside, step up, and do the right thing for the people.”
The hospital said it applied for every state funding opportunity available in 2024 and 2025, but has received no state aid. Through a Medicare waiver, which the state was recently awarded, $2.2 billion will be distributed over the course of four years to public hospitals in New York City and Westchester County, but provides no support or funding to NUMC.
“We’re asking to be treated fairly — that shouldn’t be a politically charged or partisan issue,” Ryan said. “The state has a legal responsibility to provide NUMC with aid to fulfill its mission as a safety net hospital.”
Ryan called on leaders in the State Senate and Assembly to “come together” and include “unrestricted aid for NUMC in this year’s budget.”
“Anything less risks creating a health care crisis in Nassau County,” she said.
Assemblyman Ed Ra, a Republican whose district includes parts of East Meadow, said, “This is truly a failure to prioritize the health-care needs of our region. Nassau residents contribute their tax dollars to New York state just like every other region, and it’s only right that those dollars are reinvested in their health care.”
Assemblyman John Mikulin, a Republican whose district also represents East Meadow, added, “Nassau County needs Nassau University Medical Center. NUMC must receive the state aid necessary to ensure families in need have access to the medical treatment and care they deserve.”
NUMC is Long Island’s largest safety net public hospital and serves all patients, regardless of their ability to pay for health care services.
The health care corporation also oversees the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility in Uniondale.
NUMC boasts a Level 1 trauma center, and serves more than 270,000 patients a year, with 67,000 emergency room visits. More than 60 percent of the hospital’s patients are women, and 70 percent are racial minorities. The health care system relies on funding, and since 2017, the state has slashed its allocations from $190 million to zero dollars in 2024.
The health care corporation is currently suing the state for its alleged failure to comply with federal Medicare reimbursement laws, claiming the state orchestrated a ruse to withhold Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital payments that the hospital was entitled to.
Regarding the lawsuit, which was announced in late-2024, and accusations against the state, Gordon Tepper, a spokesman for Gov. Kathy Hochul, said: “We are continuing to work with Nassau County on an appropriate solution for the future of NUMC. Our concerns are the fiscal health of the hospital and patient care. Everything else is just noise.”
Despite the lack of state funding, the health care corporation’s financial sustainability plan, which was rolled out in late-2023, has allowed the hospital to make significant financial improvements.
Last year, NUMC reported an increase in its cash reserves, an uptick in revenue and a decrease in its operating expenses. NUMC has also expanded its clinical services, revamping a multitude of patient areas, and received the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission, a nonprofit organization that evaluates and accredits health care organizations and programs nationwide.
A spokesperson form the Governor's Governor Hochul is committed to supporting safety-net hospitals, but NUMC’s biggest obstacle to receiving state aid is its own leadership. Despite their false claims, NUMC has received significant financial support, including $117 million in Disproportionate Share Hospital payments in FY24 and $38 million to date in FY25 -- only paused due to their own lawsuit against the State. Meanwhile, NUMC has failed to submit a viable financial transformation plan, a basic requirement for additional aid. Additionally, they have failed to make $400m of premium payments to maintain health insurance for its employees. The state provided $60 million to NUMC to help lessen their debt to NYSHIP in FY23. Instead of addressing critical issues, hospital leadership is still wasting resources on a misleading PR campaign. If these lawmakers are truly concerned about NUMC’s future, they should demand transparency and responsible management from its leadership."
