Health care is a human right. Without it, people suffer and people die preventable deaths.

New York State has made strides forward in expanding access to care, but until we end medical debt too many New Yorkers will continue to fall through the cracks.

Every year, our state government distributes over a billion dollars to hospitals through the Indigent Care Pool (ICP). Hospitals are required to provide discounted prices to people who earn up to 300% of the federal poverty level, always when they’re uninsured and sometimes even when they’re insured.

Unfortunately, many hospitals who are receiving these funds from the state are not distributing them to patients who need help paying for care. It’s outrageous that hospitals would keep public money, given to them specifically for public financial assistance. But that’s exactly what’s happening.

Over 53,000 New Yorkers were sued for medical bills from 2015-2020. 15 percent of New Yorkers used up all or most of their savings on medical bills, and 13 percent were left unable to pay for basic necessities like food, heat, or housing. There are drastic racial disparities in these aggressive collection practices. Across the state, zip codes that are majority people of color have a higher percentage of people with medical debt on their credit reports, compared to majority-white zip codes.

Northwell Health has been one of the most aggressive hospital systems against patients who cannot afford care. Yet Northwell’s CEO, Michael Dowling, receives an executive compensation of about $4 million per year. This type of predatory, profiteering attitude cannot stand.  

New Yorkers are calling on Northwell Health and CEO Michael Dowling to immediately stop suing patients for outstanding bills, to drop existing lawsuits, and to commit to making all patients aware about their financial assistance application. Please sign the petition today!