Recent Updates

Better Health Coverage, Better Outcomes: The Urgent Need to Make ACA Improvements Permanent
By Nora OBrien-Suric, PhD President Across New York State and the country alike, recent efforts to close the health insurance coverage gap have been making coverage more affordable and accessible….

Strengthening Medicare is More Important Than Ever
By Nora OBrien-Suric, PhD President July 30 marks the 56th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson signing into law the amendment that created Medicare, the federal health insurance program for…

Another Voice (The Buffalo News): Relief plan will strengthen health coverage in New York
This column was originally published in The Buffalo News on April 20, 2021. View it on The Buffalo News website here. by Maria Alvarez, Executive Director, New York State Wide…

Advocacy Priorities: Submitted to the NYS Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on Health and Medicaid
The Health Foundation for Western and Central New York submitted the following written testimony to the Feb. 25, 2021 Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on Health and Medicaid. The Health Foundation…

Our View: Congress Must Pass a New Comprehensive Relief Package ASAP
By Nora OBrien-Suric, PhD President As the long-term impact of COVID-19 and the resulting economic crisis continues to unfold, people across the United States are facing unprecedented challenges: record unemployment,…

Complicated Grieving: How Faith Leaders Can Provide Support in Uncertain Times
Faith leaders and clergy play a complex and important role in their communities, offering comfort, guidance and leadership to congregants, and connecting people to valuable health-related resources and information. The…

Our View: Shifting Medicaid Costs Will Hurt the Health of New Yorkers
By Nora OBrien-Suric, PhD President, the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has released his proposed 2020-21 budget, and it included some potentially concerning changes…

Looking Ahead: Health Care for All New Yorkers
by Nora OBrien-Suric, Ph.D. President Traditionally, the end of the calendar year is a time for reflection and planning. In that spirit, and to commemorate International Universal Health Coverage Day…

Celebrating and Supporting Caregivers in Our Community
by Ken Genewick Program Officer for Caregiving November is National Family Caregivers Month, an opportunity to recognize those who selflessly provide care for someone with an illness or disability. Millions…

Our View: Making Our Communities Livable for All New Yorkers
By Nora OBrien-Suric, Ph.D., President and Randy Hoak, Associate State Director, AARP New York It seems like it should be self-evident, but for a community in our state to truly…