Isaac "Yitzy" Schleifer

City Council District 5
About

Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer is the Councilman for the 5th District of Baltimore City.

Councilman Schleifer is a lifelong resident of the 5th District and currently serving on the City Council since 2016. Councilman Schleifer is the Chair of the Rules and Legislative Oversight Committee and serves on both the Health, Environment, and Technology Committee and the Ways and Means Committee.

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How to Apply for Baltimore City Energy Assistance

Baltimore City residents in need of energy assistance can apply for the Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) and the Electric Universal Service Program (EUSP) to help with heating and electric bills. Below are the steps to apply:
 
How to Apply:
Online Application:
Visit Maryland’s MyMDTHINK website to submit an application online.
Create an account or log in to complete the application process.
Upload required documents, including proof of income, utility bills, and identification.
In-Person Application:
Constituents can visit any of the Baltimore City Community Action Partnership (CAP) locations to apply in person.
A list of CAP centers can be found at Baltimore’s CAP website.
Staff will be available to assist with the application process and answer any questions.
Mail-in Application:
Download the application from the MyMDTHINK website or pick up a paper application from a CAP center.
Complete the form and mail it with the necessary documents to the address provided on the application.
Required Documents:
Proof of identity (driver’s license, state ID, or other government-issued identification).
Proof of residency (lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill).
Proof of household income for the last 30 days (pay stubs, benefit statements, or unemployment documentation).
Most recent gas and/or electric bill.
Application Assistance:
If you require assistance with your application, CAP center staff can help. Visit a center in person or call ahead to inquire about available support services.
For additional information, please visit Maryland’s MyMDTHINK website or contact your local CAP center through Baltimore’s CAP website.
We encourage all eligible residents to apply as soon as possible to ensure timely processing of benefits.

How to Apply for Baltimore City Energy Assistance

Baltimore City residents in need of energy assistance can apply for the Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) and the Electric Universal Service Program (EUSP) to help with heating and electric bills. Below are the steps to apply:

How to Apply:
Online Application:
Visit Maryland’s MyMDTHINK website to submit an application online.
Create an account or log in to complete the application process.
Upload required documents, including proof of income, utility bills, and identification.
In-Person Application:
Constituents can visit any of the Baltimore City Community Action Partnership (CAP) locations to apply in person.
A list of CAP centers can be found at Baltimore’s CAP website.
Staff will be available to assist with the application process and answer any questions.
Mail-in Application:
Download the application from the MyMDTHINK website or pick up a paper application from a CAP center.
Complete the form and mail it with the necessary documents to the address provided on the application.
Required Documents:
Proof of identity (driver’s license, state ID, or other government-issued identification).
Proof of residency (lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill).
Proof of household income for the last 30 days (pay stubs, benefit statements, or unemployment documentation).
Most recent gas and/or electric bill.
Application Assistance:
If you require assistance with your application, CAP center staff can help. Visit a center in person or call ahead to inquire about available support services.
For additional information, please visit Maryland’s MyMDTHINK website or contact your local CAP center through Baltimore’s CAP website.
We encourage all eligible residents to apply as soon as possible to ensure timely processing of benefits.
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2 days ago
Trees down across the district. Drive with caution. Thank you Chaverim of Baltimore for assisting!Image attachment

Trees down across the district. Drive with caution. Thank you Chaverim of Baltimore for assisting! ... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago

1 CommentComment on Facebook

Thank you for alerting the district. Were these fallen trees rooted on private property or city property before they fell in the streets?

At today’s Baltimore City Fire Department hearing, we heard about the burden placed on Baltimore City EMS by hospitals that have wait times that are over double what they should be. Unfortunately, LifeBridge Health Sinai Hospital came in last place. BCFD shouldn’t be transporting patients to hospitals that don’t meet the level of care our constituents deserve.

At today’s Baltimore City Fire Department hearing, we heard about the burden placed on Baltimore City EMS by hospitals that have wait times that are over double what they should be. Unfortunately, LifeBridge Health Sinai Hospital came in last place. BCFD shouldn’t be transporting patients to hospitals that don’t meet the level of care our constituents deserve. ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago

25 CommentsComment on Facebook

Our healthcare system is going to collapse because we don’t have enough primary care physicians. The other reason why ER‘s have the problems they have is because we don’t have enough inpatient psych beds. That was a decision made by the legislature. We are heading for disaster.

Great job!! Please, please convince hatzalah to take to gbmc or anywhere besides Sinai EXCEPT Northwest!!! I don’t know about their ER, but their hospital care is subpar in my opinion

The long wait times at hospitals—especially LifeBridge Health Sinai Hospital—are not just an issue of inefficiency; they are a direct result of a broken healthcare system that forces providers to operate on razor-thin margins. Baltimore City EMS is already overwhelmed, and when hospitals are unable to handle patient intake efficiently, it creates dangerous delays that put lives at risk. A major factor behind this crisis is the way insurance companies dictate reimbursement rates and impose bureaucratic hurdles that make it nearly impossible for hospitals to provide timely care. Hospitals are struggling to stay afloat because insurers reimburse at rates that barely cover the cost of care. Every test, procedure, and hospital stay is scrutinized by insurers looking for ways to deny or reduce payments. This forces hospitals to make difficult decisions—cut staff, reduce services, or operate at a loss. When hospitals don’t have enough doctors, nurses, or support staff, emergency rooms become overcrowded, and wait times skyrocket. Beyond staffing, insurance restrictions prevent patients from getting the care they need outside the ER. Many people can’t get timely appointments with specialists because insurers require prior authorizations, deny coverage, or offer reimbursement so low that providers refuse to accept certain plans. As a result, patients delay care until they have no choice but to go to the emergency room—overwhelming an already strained system. Hospitals, first responders, and patients are all suffering under a system designed to maximize profits for insurance companies rather than ensure quality care. While EMS crews are left waiting for hours to transfer patients, insurance executives are making record profits by refusing to pay hospitals what they need to operate efficiently. We need real reform—higher reimbursement rates, fewer prior authorization roadblocks, and policies that ensure patients can access care before they reach the ER. Until these issues are addressed, our hospitals will continue to struggle, our first responders will be overburdened, and our constituents will suffer from unacceptable delays in life-saving care. Baltimore deserves better.

Maybe if the BPD's policy didnt require police to call for an ambulance every time people complained of a headache or a scratch on their hand....

Ensuring timely emergency care is critical for the well-being of our community, and the long wait times at hospitals—especially LifeBridge Health Sinai Hospital—are a serious concern that needs immediate attention. Baltimore City EMS is already stretched thin, and when hospitals are unable to receive patients efficiently, it places an even greater burden on our emergency response system. There are multiple factors contributing to these excessive wait times. Staffing shortages remain a significant issue, as hospitals struggle to maintain adequate levels of doctors, nurses, and support staff. Additionally, the emergency room has become the primary healthcare option for many individuals who lack access to primary care providers. When patients can’t get timely appointments with doctors due to insurance restrictions or provider shortages, they often turn to the ER for non-emergency conditions, clogging the system and causing longer wait times for those in true medical distress. The issue is further compounded by insurance-related challenges. Many patients face difficulty obtaining approvals for necessary treatments, tests, or specialist visits, forcing them to rely on emergency rooms for care they should be receiving elsewhere. In some cases, hospitals struggle to get reimbursement for care provided, limiting their resources and ability to expand services. These systemic problems not only delay care for those who need it most but also create unnecessary stress on EMS crews who are forced to wait with patients instead of responding to new emergencies. Our first responders are dedicated professionals who put their lives on the line to serve this city, and they deserve to work with hospitals that can provide the level of care our constituents expect and deserve. We need real solutions—whether it’s better hospital staffing, improved insurance access, or policy changes that prevent unnecessary ER overcrowding. Addressing these challenges requires collaboration between hospitals, policymakers, and insurers, because no one should have to wait hours to receive life-saving medical attention. Baltimore deserves better, and we must work together to make that a reality.

If we had a single payer healthcare system like every civilized country, emergency departments would not be so overwhelmed. So, maybe, as a politician, that is what you should be advocating for.

You are going to blame the over worked, underpaid, over budget and short staffed hospitals on wait times and have the audacity to make the statement that the fire department should not take patients to an ER for life saving care? Do you even know what the concept of triage is sir? I would suggest you take a day out of your busy schedule and actually speak to the hospital staff and get their input on why wait times are so horrendous.

Maybe promote better overall wellness to the community…The goal being to keep them out of the ED! Also, encourage use of urgent cares for non emergent care.

Bottom line - is this a problem? Yes. Do hospitals own their portion of the problem? Yes. In the hospital piece, is it only the ED? No, sirree! Are there more pieces of the pie of responsibility? Again, yes. Many in fact. Does BCFD/BCoFD (management) own a portion is the problem? Also, yes. Is this a system-wide problem that affects ALL the hospitals in the area (not just one)? Survey says ‘YES!’ Is this mainly rooted from the cause of a systemically broken healthcare system? BINGO! You guessed it - Yes. Does it make you sound uninformed and petty blasting one specific hospital that has its own unique circumstances that often contribute to the problem, instead of looking at the system-wide issue and addressing it at the correct system level and then working your way down? Absolutely, yes. Will picking at one specific hospital department fix the entire issue? No. And will picking at one specific hospital department even fix that specific hospital’s issue? Also, no. If you’re going to represent the people, and seek to problem solve, while you’ve learned how to identify problems, instead of playing the Blame Game (which 100% makes this sound personal and bitter and leaves a sour reflection of your office), learn how to identify the pieces of the problem, and just like other things that need fixing in life, start from the top, and work your way down. You’ll find your problem fixed much faster than starting at the bottom and trying to climb your way up from the trenches!

I think it goes beyond just the numbers. Northwest Baltimore is among the busiest areas in the city call volume wise with the least facilities to transport to. Sinai is basically it other than Northwest in Randallstown. Compare that with equally as busy areas, all those areas are more central, where you have options in terms of facilities to transport to. The problem lies in public education of what does and doesn’t require an ER visit.

The biggest problem with this post is you're not trying to actually help You're trying to put people on blast without walking a mile in their shoes. You saw a problem and so you met with the fire department you saw a problem with the hospital but instead of meeting with them you put them on blast you should be ashamed of yourself

Well if people didn’t call for headaches, flu and prescription refills then the wait times wouldn’t be so appalling

er doc here too. res are overwhelmed for many reasons. lack of inpatient beds, lack of primary care providers, etc. once Medicaid is cut, as muck plans , no one will be able to even get emergency care because everyone previously seen as outpatients in clinics will have nowhere else to go.

The problem with this post and all the comments on it from you is that it comes off like an op-ed piece You're a politician you don't get an opinion on healthcare if you're trying to fix it your opinion should be out of it. It sounds like yeah you did talk to a few people but you didn't actually show up to the hospital spend the day there and see how it runs and with the actual inefficiencies are and how you want to help. You don't get to say you want to help and then come off like a journalist if you actually want to help you have to act like a war car respondent show up and report what's actually f****** happening

LifeBridge Health is terrible! I’ve made several complaints to them on behalf of my loved one.

And this is exactly the reason why politicians shouldn’t ‘dabble’ in health care 🤷🏼‍♂️

Is sad but true....lifebridge it is a horror show.Unfortunately I know from personal and second hand experience

The biggest problem here is that you don't even know what the biggest problem is and you clearly posted to get a reaction without first going to the board of Life bridge first you having a problem with them you go to them first just like I would go to my neighbors before calling the police if I had a problem with that you are the biggest problem and you don't even realize it I'm sorry I ever voted for you

Really yitzi? How about giving ems the right to refuse to transport every toe pain and every “cough for 15 yrs”. And then maybe the EDs wouldn’t be full of patients that don’t need to be seen in an EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.

You're 100% part of the problem and you're coming off as a jackass here and I'm sorry but you are you keep saying that their data shows that Sinai hospital has a problem but your refusing to look at why sonic hospital has a problem and you don't even seem to be looking at the fact that they're an inner city hospital. Oh you're looking at is the numbers You're not looking at the types of patients that go to Sinai hospital and have their cases may take up more of the doctor's time than let's say GBMC where they're allowed to cherry pick their patients

Maryland's global budget has caused this fiasco. Also, Medicare slashing reimbursements and classifying most hospitalizations as "observation," has forced hospitals to close many beds to save money. Fewer hospital beds leads to the ER being saddled with patients who need admission but have nowhere to go. It's these major downstream effects that our policymakers at CMS and in Congress just don't seem to understand.

Maybe YOU “Councilman” should start by spending a few 12-12.5 hour shifts there. You should be ashamed. Try being a part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

Hi, ER doc here- The biggest problem for EMS offloading is ED crowding. The biggest cause of crowding is ED boarding (holding admitted patients in the ER). And the biggest cause of boarding is lack of inpatient capacity, which Maryland has made worse because of the global budget. The article below has further details as well as policy recommendations pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8463045/

Just wondering the percentage of illegals to citizens

Violet Beauregard this issh

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I was proud to stand with my colleagues on the City Council as we announced oversight hearings into massive increases on BGE bills. Residents and business owners deserve answers, and our City Council is committed to fighting for them.

I was proud to stand with my colleagues on the City Council as we announced oversight hearings into massive increases on BGE bills. Residents and business owners deserve answers, and our City Council is committed to fighting for them. ... See MoreSee Less

1 week ago

12 CommentsComment on Facebook

Please My Bill Has Nearly Tripled In 3 Months

December bill - $350ish January bill - $668 February bill - $1100!! Absolutely insane and unacceptable. We're seriously considering moving out of the city but everyone does not have that option.

Thanks Yitzy! I would focus on other states and how their utility companies are able to maintain their infrastructure without charging their customers exorbitant distribution charges!!

Thank you! The increased costs are outrageous.

No one can afford this. BGE is making too much profit.

Go get em !!!!

Please do

Is there anything that can be done or is it too late? The Maryland Public Service Commission already approved the rate hike.

So what was the outcome? This is ridiculous!

Thank you!!!

Thank you

Give em hell Yitzy!!!!!!

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Is there anyone on here that got a normal MyBGE bill this month? ... See MoreSee Less

3 weeks ago

116 CommentsComment on Facebook

All of Exelon did this, I've been doing so research and Pepco, BGE and Delmarva ALL got stuffed with high prices

I spoke to Bge today. There was a glitch in their system so the time frame of your bill was longer then normal causing high bill BUT also she said that December avg temp outside was in the 50s while Jan avg temp was in 30s and the drastic decrease in outside temp caused most bills to be significantly higher.

Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer is the council taking action?

No. The distribution charge vs the usage charge was 2:1 cost. For 92$ gas usage I was charged 183$ for distribution. For every 1$ worth of gas they charged 2$ to bring it to my house!

Absolutely ridiculous. I've never had a $400 monthly bill, never.

We’ve been expecting our monthly bill for several days, but it has yet to arrive! Our last month’s bill was very high.

It was so bad last month I went on budget billing.

I’m on budget billing but I’m sure that will adjust

Gas charges alone were $177, they claimed we used over three times as much as last month. I’m still trying to get them to get my electric bill correct.

I got a $690 heating bill for a vacant row home, I left the heat set to 64 degrees!

They hike up the costs, tear up our roads with this gas line project, that has our streets in horrible condition, and I am pretty sure they will.l do a crappy job repaving the street. BGE is responsible to repave our street, correct?

No!! Very high

Ours was the highest we have ever had

My current bill is the highest one that I have ever received. I've been in my house 25 years, and although its been cold, its been even colder in the past

Become a councilman they said. It'll be fun they said...

4 figures.

Mine was over $700! Last year our highest was around $500. And this month will be worse as it’s much colder. And we’re really very careful with our heat usage.

My bill was significantly higher too! Over $800

I GOT A BILL FOR 2K .. BEEN TRYING TO CALL THEM FOR 3 MONTHS. NOW IT'S 7K

No, ours is insane. please help!

Time to move out of Maryland!

My bill was twice what it was last winter I estimate. With temps remaining low, February will be high as well.

This is clear gauging for sure. Maybe they are filling in the gaps for all the mishandled USAID money. But this is unreal. Unacceptable.

NO! my bill went up by almost $200

Glad (well, not really) to know I’m not the only one! The estimate for my next bill is $543.00 for a 2 bedroom apartment. We have 2 thermostats-I keep mine set to 64 when I’m home and 63 when I’m out. My roommate never sets her’s above 68!!

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