Senate Health Committee Chairman Kemp Hannon has introduced a bill requiring Senate approval for the NYS Medicaid Director post.
The bill, S.8082, provides the following justification: “New York State’s Medicaid program now serves 1 in 3 residents and spends over $70 billion a year. Medicaid funding is used to support services available through the Department of Health, the Office of Mental Health, the Office of Substance Abuse Services and the Office of Developmental Disabilities. The federal government contributes funding to the state’s program and has a role in overseeing it. Each state has a designated Medicaid Director. New York’s Medical Director serves as a Deputy Commissioner within the Department of Health.”
New York’s Medicaid program costs roughly $70 billion annually, making it one of the largest parts of the approximately $170 billion budget currently being negotiated by legislative leaders.
Donna Frescatore, the current head of the state’s online health insurance exchange has been appointed to takeover for outgoing Medicaid director Jason Helgerson and is expected to oversee the program through 2018.