Pass the NY Health Act: NYPIRG Intern Luke Beaver

The people of New York have suffered from expensive and difficult to access healthcare for too long. Everyday, New Yorkers are forced to pay exorbitant fees for medicine and procedures that they require to live. The New York Health Act would seek to end this problem by providing millions of New Yorkers with high quality and affordable health care.

High quality healthcare should not be available solely to the wealthy. Our single-payer system has made it incredibly difficult for lower and middle income people to receive even an acceptable level of healthcare. The universal coverage provided by the New York Health Act would guarantee every New Yorker access to healthcare, regardless of income or employment status. By passing this act, New York can ensure that all of its citizens, regardless of class or immigration status, have the essential healthcare services that they need. It is the duty of our state legislature to protect its constituencies and their health. Passing the New York Health Act is essential to this duty.

The New York Health Act would not only provide universal healthcare, but would also relieve the financial stress of healthcare for both patients and providers. Healthcare as it operates now is convoluted and expensive, even for healthcare providers. New York has a large population with hundreds of providers across the state, acting as an essential part of the state’s livelihood and economy. This Act would eliminate administrative inefficiencies and allow for the negotiation of better rates for services and medication, supporting both the patient and these providers. The New York Health Act is a bill that works for every New Yorker on both sides of the healthcare system.

Having watched families and friends pay exorbitant amounts of money to simply live, I cannot emphasize enough how important this act is. It seems impossible to take a trip on the subway without watching someone suffer from a mental or physical ailment. There is a richness and a vibrancy to this state that is hindered by people’s suffering. How much brighter could New York be if all of its people had the care they need? How many lives would be noticeably improved if medicine was accessible and cheap? I’m tired of health and livelihood being solely available for those who can pay. It is time for a change. Every New Yorker should find it easy to get quality and affordable healthcare, and it is New York’s responsibility to make sure they do so.

It is time for our state legislature to take action for its citizens and see The New York Health Act to fruition. In these trying times, it is more important than ever for New York to protect its citizens’ rights to high quality and affordable healthcare. Let New York lead the nation, creating a revolutionary healthcare system that will set an example for the rest of the country. Let New York be at the forefront of progress like the great state that it is. Let us as students call upon our state legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul, for the sake of New York and its people, pass The New York Health Act now!