The New York State Assembly Health Committee, chaired by Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan), held a public hearing on Monday titled “Medicaid Program Efficacy and Sustainability.” GNYHA submitted testimony (attached) that included the following recommendations to strengthen the Medicaid program:
- Reform or repeal the Medicaid Global Cap
- Update Medicaid reimbursement rates that don’t cover the cost of care
- Continue and increase financial support for safety net hospitals
- Eliminate scheduled capital cuts
- Fully fund the State’s nursing home staffing mandate
Providers, labor unions, and advocacy groups also testified, providing near unanimous support for reforming or repealing the Global Cap and furthering investments in the Medicaid program. Many organizations, particularly in the long-term care industry, described staffing difficulties because of wage inadequacy due to chronic underfunding of the Medicaid program.
An archived video of the hearing will be available here.