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Phone: (518) 465-1473 Fax: (518) 465-0506 Email: info@nysac.org 

Calling for the State Assumption of Local Medicaid Costs

The number one priority for this year’s State Legislative Session must be enacting a state assumption of local Medicaid costs—and county leaders are not the only voices calling for that proposal.

Counties and New York City will spend nearly $7.3 billion in local taxes to support the state’s Medicaid program in 2012. Outside of New York City, a typical county’s Medicaid costs will consume about half of the property tax levy. The State law requirement that counties pay for a large share of the cost of the State’s Medicaid program is one of the top reasons for New York’s highest-in-the-nation property taxes.

In late December, the Governor’s Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) sent its final recommendations to the Governor on ways to improve and further reform the State’s largest-in-the-nation Medicaid program. A key component of those recommendations includes a long-sought NYSAC proposal for the State to gradually assume full fiscal responsibility for the Medicaid program. The Governor will review all of the proposals from the MRT in the coming year for possible action.  MRT reforms related to financing and state/local responsibilities can be viewed at: www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/redesign/docs/program_streamlining_report.pdf

Additionally, the Citizens Budget Commission released a report in early December which highlighted the significant inequity and unfairness of using local property taxes as a way to finance a statewide program.  The nonpartisan Citizen’s Budget Commission released a report entitled,  A Poor Way to Pay for Medicaid. The report concludes that, “New York’s local share Medicaid policy, which requires counties to pay a portion of program costs, is out of line with other states, causes taxpayers in some counties to pay more for Medicaid on average than taxpayers in neighboring counties, and undercuts efforts to control costs.  Review the full report at: http://www.cbcny.org/content/poor-way-to-pay-medicaid.

Finally, the Governor’s State of the State speech acknowledged and validated that, as NYSAC has advocated the last two years, $18 billion in new federal resources will be made available to New York through the Affordable Care Act, which is scheduled to become effective in 2014. These new funds should be one of several funding sources used to leverage the State assumption of the local share of Medicaid costs. The tens of billions of dollars in savings over the next decade from the Governor’s own MRT proposals, along with the recovery in State tax receipts also offer other sources of funding to leverage this takeover of local Medicaid costs. (Dave Lucas)

 
 

NYSAC Delivers 2012 County Legislative Program to State Lawmakers

Posted on January 9, 2012 by NYSAC

NYSAC this week delivered the 2012 County Legislative Program to the Governor and members of the State Legislature. The program includes a series of mandate reform proposals designed by county officials with a goal of making New York a better, stronger and economically viable State in which to live, work and raise a family.

The top priority for county leaders for this Session is the enactment of meaningful mandate relief. When State leaders enacted the property tax cap, they pledged to enact mandate relief. For counties, that mandate relief must come in the form of reducing the programs and costs they require from county property taxpayers. This will enable local service delivery to continue.

The 2012 County Legislative Program includes a series of mandate reform proposals designed by county officials with a goal of making New York a better, stronger and economically viable State in which to live, work and raise a family.

2011 Legislative Session: The County Impact

Counties were on the forefront of almost all of the major State budget and public policy issues. It goes without saying that New York State has experienced significant challenges the last several years. The roller-coaster economy has taken its toll not only on the state, but has also tremendously affected our counties.

 

To download a PDF of the report, click image or link:

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Resources

Special Archives Section

Tax Cap and State Mandates, September 2010

On September 29, 2010, NYSAC conducted an online seminar for chairs of county legislative boards. This seminar focused on the State’s proposed property tax cap and the nine mandates that consume 90% of counties’ property tax level.

Working With Your Local Media, August 2010

As part of NYSAC’s Summer Online Training Series, Tom Nardacci of Gramercy Communications, presents the basics for how to proactively work with your local media on the issues impacting your county and your efforts to improve the way your county publicly addresses the economic and policy challenges that we all face today.

Lean Government Seminar, June 2010

 

With our governments being asked to do more with less, county officials are looking at ways to continue delivering critical services in a more efficient and effective manner.

Webinar: Navigating the Maze of Government – NYSAC’s Isabelle Andrews recently presented a webinar on how to navigate the bureaucratic maze of large organizations.

Join this session to learn a few strategies for navigating large bureaucracies from the outside. The tips also work for navigating from the inside as well.

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