Last week, Erie County Legislators Ed Rath and John Mills introduced a resolution in opposition to imposing a single-payer healthcare system in New York State.

The creation of a single-payer healthcare system has long remained part of the New York State Legislature’s agenda and has previously only been a few votes short of passage. The establishment of a single-payer program is estimated to require an additional $139 billion in new taxes by 2022, according to the Empire Center for Public Policy. Additionally, it has also been estimated it would eliminate 150,000 jobs from New York State.

Legislator Ed Rath said, “A single-payer healthcare system would come with serious financial setbacks for all of New York State. Our state leadership should not seek to implement this policy when we already suffer from some of the highest taxes in the country.”

Legislator John Mills said, “Declining quality of healthcare, higher wait times for medical needs, and increased taxes are among the problems with a single-payer healthcare system. While the idea of universal healthcare coverage for residents is appealing, we should consider other options before implementing a system the state simply can’t afford.”

The resolution was sent to the Legislature’s Government Affairs Committee for further discussion. A copy of it can be found here.