What's happening
Writing a plain-English summary… Track this bill to get it by email.
Why it matters
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Committee discharged and committed to health
- Referred to social services
- Referred to social services
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Establishes a state managed medical assistance demonstration project
In Assembly Committee · Health · Sponsor Robin Schimminger
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to a state managed medical assistance demonstration project
Purpose
This bill would create a new demonstration project with up to three counties in which the Department of Health will completely take over the management and funding of medical assistance in the counties which participate in the project.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 - adds a new section 364-m of the Social Services Law to create a managed medical assistance demonstration project. Under the project, up to three county social services departments interested in participating will be chosen by the Department of Health. The Department of Health will assume all of the duties of intake, management and related services for persons in need of such care. In return, the Department shall receive all of the funds that otherwise would have been paid to the local district to provide such duties by the state or federal government, and shall pay one hundred percent of the non-federal share of any payments made for such services.
The project shall begin April 1, 2010, or as soon thereafter as a local district shall have applied and been approved by the Department of Health, and shall end March 31, 2013.
On or before December 31, 2012, the Commissioner of Health shall submit a report to the Governor, the Temporary President of the Senate and the Speaker of the Assembly describing the costs and savings of the demonstration project with recommendations for establishing a permanent statewide central managed medical assistance program.
Section 2 - Effective date.
Current law
Currently, Medicaid services and managed by local social service districts, with funding for the services coming from federal state and local sources.
Justification
The current Medicaid program in New York to provide medical assistance to persons in need of such assistance cannot be sustained. Even though the burden to local governments has been reduced by legislation over the last several years, property owners across New York continue to face spiraling taxes. These Medicaid costs, when added to the rising expenses of local governments to provide basic local services, are beyond the means of of property owners. Property tax rates are among the highest in the country, and even though property values have stagnated across the state, and particularly across upstate, property taxes are often the largest tax that a property owner pays. Even when a homeowner has no income, or an owner of commercial property is receiving no rent from a vacant building, the school, village, town and county tax bills, amounting to thousands and thousands of dollars, continue to arrive. This bill offers an opportunity to explore, through a pilot-program, the possibility that there is a better way to provide and fund medical assistance in New York State.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Legislative ,history
New bill.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.