De Blasio to Bail Out Public Hospitals as New York City Tax Revenue Rises
- The health system would face a $2 billion deficit by 2020
- $82.2 billion budget also proposes expense cuts and reserves
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks during a news conference on March 22, 2016, in New York City.
Photographer: Frank Franklin II-Pool/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio intends to increase the support he’s giving to the city’s money-losing public hospitals, clinics and nursing homes by $700 million, bringing the total tab to $2 billion.
The plan, part of an $82.2 billion fiscal 2017 budget the mayor will present Tuesday, would represent a 53 percent increase in spending on the hospital system since he took office. It asks the City Council to add almost $500 million this fiscal year, which ends June 30, and $180 million a year over the next four years. Another $100 million in bond-derived capital funds will go to building neighborhood health clinics.