Residents urge Chemung County Legislature to press federal reps to oppose proposed Medicaid cuts

Chemung County residents told the county legislature during public comment that they want local leaders to adopt a resolution opposing proposed Medicaid cuts and to press federal representatives to block the reductions.

The request came from several speakers, including Jamal Abdul Malik, chair of the Chemung County Democratic Committee, who said, “This is not a partisan issue. This is a human issue,” and asked the legislature to “vote to adopt the resolution that has been presented.”

Speakers framed the appeal around local consequences if federal Medicaid spending is reduced. Jim Hare, a resident of Elmira, recounted prior requests for a resolution and said he had been told by an official after a previous meeting that “there was nothing you could do,” which he challenged. Jamal Abdul Malik pointed to a U.S. House budget resolution he said would cut Medicaid by $880,000,000,000 over 10 years and told the legislature that nearly 36% of Chemung County’s population — roughly 29,000 residents, as cited by speakers — could be affected.

Residents cited specific local impacts. Jane Winters and others warned that cuts could reduce funding for addiction treatment programs tied to Medicaid. Jim Hare and other speakers described potential harm to long-term care providers: he cited Bethany Manor receiving $6,000,000 in Medicaid reimbursements, said an Elcor facility with about 305 beds receives roughly $18,000,000 with 90% of its funding from Medicaid, and noted Arnot Ogden Medical Center serves as a safety-net hospital. A resident who identified interactions with the Chemung County Infirmary told the legislature the facility receives $209.93 per day per bed in Medicaid reimbursements and presented calculations — $76,625 per bed annually and, by the speaker’s estimate, that a 1% cut could cost roughly $27,967 per bed per year and more than $2,000,000 countywide for Medicaid-supported beds — to illustrate local fiscal exposure.

Other commentators tied Medicaid cuts to services for homeless residents and community public-safety concerns. Minister Becca, of Freedom Church of the Poor Elmira, said programs contracted by the county through departments such as social services and mental hygiene would be affected and asked the legislature to protect vulnerable residents. Andy Patros and others repeated calls for the legislature to use its platform to advocate to federal officials before decisions are finalized.

Not all remarks were limited to Medicaid; Jim Carr raised a separate concern that a Social Security hearing office had been moved from Elmira to Horseheads and questioned the rationale given by a federal district director about lease costs. Joshua Blauvelt and other residents offered brief updates or thanks on unrelated local matters such as a recently opened snowmobile trail and its effect on local businesses.

No formal action or vote on a county resolution was recorded in the public comments captured in the transcript excerpt.

Speakers and roles referenced in this article are drawn from public comment statements provided at the meeting.