NYAPRS Note: The following underscores how strongly alternative treatments are sought by healthcare consumers. Self-Directed Care, which allows eligible Medicaid beneficiaries will pay for those services. The NYS Office of Mental Health will be rolling out SDC pilots in the coming year.
Last week, NYS Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s top health officials were in Brooklyn for the second leg of a four-stop listening tour meant to reassure residents that the administration’s design for health care delivery in the central and eastern parts of the borough won’t leave the frail behind or move ahead without local input.
According to Politico, “What was striking about the two meetings was that so many of the services residents say they want are not the kind typically found in a hospital. Yoga, aquatic therapy, nutrition classes, health literacy and education – these are important to wellness in general but do not need to be located in a medical center or run by a physician.
That could be a crucial insight for state policymakers who want to move away from a hospital-centric model and expand primary care options, which are often more efficient and always less costly.”