Hamburg, NY – Today, Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera was joined by representatives from 1199SEIU and concerned community members at the Hamburg Public Library for a public roundtable forum to discuss the devastating local impacts of the Trump administration’s enacted “Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025.”

The new federal law contains sweeping changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid financing, threatening the health insurance coverage of millions of Americans and placing enormous financial strain on New York’s health care system.

According to state estimates, the law will cause 1.5 million New Yorkers to lose health insurance coverage, (Health Care Provisions In The One Big Beautiful Bill Act – GNYHA) while reducing federal support for New York’s Medicaid program and the Essential Plan, which currently provides affordable coverage for low-income residents.

Within the “Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025,” Congress voted to:

• Cut $1 trillion from Medicaid, threatening access to care for millions;
• Strip healthcare from 12 million Americans through new bureaucratic red tape and eligibility barriers;
• Enact the largest-ever cuts to food assistance programs; and
• Permanently extend $4.5 trillion in tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy.

These federal changes will also ban Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funding, cancel the 2024 federal rule requiring minimum nursing home staffing, and lead to direct cuts to hospital and research funding. Medicaid currently covers 70% of all nursing home care in New York State, meaning that giant holes in state budgets will translate directly into service reductions and provider layoffs.

In total, the cuts are expected to result in approximately $10 billion in lost health care resources statewide, 1.5 million New Yorkers losing coverage, and 51,000 health care jobs lost.

During the forum, 1199SEIU representatives and local residents shared stories of how these proposed cuts could affect their lives and workplaces. Participants discussed ways for community members to advocate against the bill’s most harmful provisions and protect care for families, children, and seniors.

Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera said, “This bill represents one of the most dangerous and cruel pieces of legislation in modern American history. It cuts deeply into the very programs that protect our seniors, working families, and people with disabilities, while extending trillions in tax breaks to the wealthy. New Yorkers deserve better, and we’re going to allow Congressional Republicans to take away health insurance coverage from our families.”

Grace Bogdanove, 1199SEIU Vice-President for WNY Nursing Homes said, “The Big Ugly Bill’s cuts to healthcare funding, alongside the expiration of the healthcare tax credits will devastate WNYers – not just those who receive Medicaid, Medicare, or ACA coverage. All WNY residents will feel the impact as healthcare services are cut, wait times for healthcare services are extended, and facilities are left with no choice but to close their doors without adequate funding to sustain care.”