By Hank Russell
Nassau County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman blasted Kathy Hochul’s proposal to force seniors to pay hundreds of dollars more each month for Medicare Part B premiums as part of her FY 2027 Budget, calling it a “senior tax.”
“Kathy Hochul keeps making New York even more unaffordable,” Blakeman said. “We already pay the highest taxes and utility bills in the nation thanks to Hochul, and now she’s proposing that seniors should pay hundreds more for health insurance. No wonder New York is one of the worst states in the nation to retire in!”
Currently, the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) reimburses Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts (IRMAA) on Medicare Part B premiums for certain retirees. According to The Chief, Hochul’s preliminary FY 2027 budget proposal eliminates that reimbursement for retirees whose income was $109,000 a year ($218,000 for couples), leaving affected seniors with monthly costs rising between $81 and $487, depending on their income.
“It’s hard to imagine a policy more out of touch than making seniors pay more for their health insurance while the state already faces an affordability crisis. If Hochul continues down this path, no wonder so many retirees look to leave the state or say it’s impossible to retire here,” Blakeman added.
Blakeman pointed out that Hochul’s record has already left seniors stretched to their limits. Under her leadership, property taxes, income taxes, and utility rates have soared, leaving many New Yorkers with little financial breathing room.
Blakeman concluded, “New Yorkers deserve a government that understands what it costs to live and retire here. I will fight for affordability from Day One, not saddle families with higher bills and fewer protections.”
Hochul campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki responded to Blakeman’s comments.
“Bruce Blakeman said he’d take Trump’s historic Medicaid cuts even further and came out against the Affordable Care Act itself – he’s fighting for higher costs and less coverage for New Yorkers, which is why he’ll never protect their health care when it comes under attack from D.C.,” he said.