NYHealth Authorization

New York State’s $46 billion Medicaid system remains the top target for reform in the State’s health system. This authorization supported grants to study options for reforming Medicaid.

The State Fiscal Year 2007/08 Budget has laid the groundwork for reform by: expanding insurance coverage for children; streamlining Medicaid coverage renewal requirements; and mandating a review of the $847 million in indigent care payments to hospitals. Contrary to public perception, many states, rather than national government, are the primary venues for coverage reform and expansion.

To take on this challenge, the New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) engaged in a series of conversations to create a partnership between the two institutions. This partnership resulted in a set of reports to inform the Department on how best to make changes to the structure of Medicaid. Finally, the project also earmarked Foundation dollars to be used for funding the quick-strike reports and analyses required by the Department of Health to make wise programming and implementation decisions and policy changes in the next year.

Grant Update:

Seven grants were funded under this authorization:

• The Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University Health Policy Institute: Eligibility Simplification Project for New York State Department of Health
• Lake Research Partners: Insight into How to Reduce Churning in New York’s Medicaid Program
• Manatt Health Solutions: Streamlining Medicaid Spend Down
• The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, The State University of New York: Increasing Health Care Policy Research and Analysis Capability in New York State
• New York University, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service: Reimbursement Reform and Cost Management Project
• PMB Healthcare Consulting: Developing a Telephone Renewal System for New York State Public Health Insurance Programs
• Spitfire Strategies: Strategic Development and Implementation Support for Children’s Coverage Enrollment Drives

Read the NYHealth special report.