Health Groups Press Cuomo to Repeal 1% Medicaid Reduction
By Shannon Young Politico January 7, 2020
Nearly two dozen organizations representing New York hospitals, nursing homes, physicians and other health care providers called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo this week to immediately reverse the reduced Medicaid spending that took effect on Jan. 1.
The coalition — which included the Healthcare Association of New York State, Medical Society of the State of New York and others who have spoken out against the cuts — urged the administration to reconsider the 1 percent across-the-board Medicaid reduction and additional cuts that are expected to come as the state looks to plug a $4 billion budget hole.
The groups argued in a Monday letter to Cuomo that “this reduction should immediately be repealed” as New York’s Medicaid program “has not adequately reimbursed for increased costs and critical policy initiatives since the Medicaid Redesign Team changes began to take effect.”
Noting the cuts come despite increases in the costs of providing care, they cast the Jan. 1 reduction as “essentially a permanent reverse trend-factor.”
“The progressive and positive policy decisions made in New York to take care of the health of our citizens and to compensate adequately the health care workers that deliver care to those in need, should not be borne by unsustainable reimbursement reductions to those providers and entities that employ these workers and ensure that health and long-term care services are available to those in need,” they wrote. “As we cross the threshold to the new decade, we ask that you reconsider this across the board payment reduction, other Medicaid reductions and protect this critical program for our State’s most vulnerable residents, the workers who care for them and the providers who bear the responsibility.”
“New Yorkers deserve nothing less,” the coalition added.
Cuomo’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Don’t Balance Budget On Backs Of Disabled New Yorkers
By Mike Volkman Albany Times Union January 7, 2020
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is declaring war on disabled New Yorkers.
Last March, I wrote about Cuomo’s budget cuts to Medicaid payments for consumer-directed personal assistance services, jeopardizing the future of a program developed by and for disabled people that saves Medicaid — and taxpayers -— billions of dollars. We had to sue to stop this from happening, and the judge ruled in our favor. More importantly, these services let us live independent lives, not just in our communities but as part of our communities.
Even though his draconian cuts were struck down by the courts, Cuomo is determined to try again. He has said over the last few weeks that the state has a $6.3 billion deficit, specifically mentioning Medicaid. That doesn’t tell the whole story. The only deficit the state has in Medicaid is as it relates to its self-imposed limits. They have the money; the governor just lacks the will to spend it.
This will affect me personally. I’ve been independent since I started college in 1983. Just living like everybody else, doing ordinary things, makes a statement about my rights and those of people with disabilities. I can shop, vote, travel to see family (and the Yankees), and serve on the local committee of a political party.
By policy, public servants suspiciously believe we don’t truly need the help we ask for as if we all are liars. We constantly justify requests for service and necessary equipment while risking being accused of fraud, and we must appeal denials. For example, for those of us on Medicaid, taxpayers must pay for semiannual visits to a doctor to sign documents stating we are still disabled enough to need service. While some disabilities are temporary, millions of us nationwide have permanent disabilities that you must pay to verify. Yet we get blamed for the cost. One simple rule change for recertification every two years instead of every six months would reduce one cost by 75 percent — saving tens of millions of dollars.
Now our governor is prepping you before his State of the State address to make it look like we are the bad guys ripping you off, just because we all want to enjoy the same independence and freedom that you do. It’s our fault for refusing to give up the lives that we live. In reality, by managing our own services, we are saving taxpayers billions of dollars while actually improving the services we get.
Do we still have New York values? Is it still important to make sure that everybody receives what they need to live a high quality of life?
Taking consumer-directed personal assistance services away from consumers will force us into much more expensive services. We will no longer be allowed to be in charge of meeting our personal needs. Loss of service will force many of us to give up our homes and our jobs and go into nursing homes where we will languish until we die. This will cost you, the taxpayer, much, much more. Almost five years ago I spent 45 days in a facility needlessly because of another policy; just a taste of what will happen on a grand scale that will make the deficit soar out of control. It will also cost billions more just to build more nursing homes for up to 70,000 people who don’t need them.
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability as Cuomo apparently is attempting. This is not the New York we know. It makes no sense from an economic or human perspective to destroy the world-leading system we have built here.
Mike Volkman of Albany is a longtime disability rights advocate.
https://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Commentary-Don-t-balance-budget-on-backs-of-14955568.php