Health care advocates this week are pushing for more support for health centers in New York from the state government, warning safety-net facilities are struggling financially due to a policy that has diverted funding away from them.

At issue remains a Medicaid policy first put into motion under then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo that changed the 340B program. Supporters argued it helped save money. But opponents have worried the change from managed care to a fee for service model.

Advocates warn the change once fully implemented next year would result in a $250 million revenue loss and could lead to the closure of 32 clinics in New York.

“National Health Center Week provides the perfect opportunity for Governor Hochul to demonstrate her commitment to protecting New Yorkers by using her executive power to repeal the Cuomo carve-out,” said Mike Lee, the chief operating officer of Evergreen Health Services in Western New York. “Without these providers, millions of people will be unable to access care and services, putting them at a distinct disadvantage at a very uncertain and dangerous time.”

The program is meant to allow safety-net providers purchase discounted prescription drugs. The savings are used to pay for services for clients who are not covered by the Medicaid program to help them cover food, housing and vaccination clinics for illnesses like monkeypox.

While the change has been cast as a money-saving one for New York, advocates argue it could lead to higher costs in the near future.

“If allowed to go forward, we’re going to see a devastating number of people going hungry again, homeless, and not able to access the medications they need,” said Perry Junjulas, the executive director of the Albany Damien Center. “The carve-out will take from people who have the least to balance the budget, which does not make sense in today’s society. It needs to be repealed immediately before people die as a result of this bad Cuomo-era budget gimmick.”