Call your NYC Councilmembers to list their name on Resolution 712, which urges Gov Cuomo to halt the Medicaid Redesign Team

Call your New York City Councilmembers!
http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml

 

Ask them to list their name on New York City Council Resolution 712

which urges Governor Cuomo to halt the Medicaid Redesign Team

and create a process that is  prudent and inclusive. 

 

(Resolution text below for your review.)

 

The New York City Council

Legislation Text

City Hall

New York, NY 10007

Res. No. 712

Resolution calling upon New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York Legislature to halt

the Medicaid Redesign process and create a process that is prudent and inclusive in order to reduce the

Medicaid budget and raise additional revenue to pay for services without compromising health care for needy

New Yorkers.

By Council Members Mendez, Barron, Brewer, Dickens and Jackson

Whereas, New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo established the Medicaid Redesign Team,

through Executive Order, to find ways to save money within the Medicaid program for Fiscal Year 2012; and

Whereas, The Governor named a 27-member Medicaid Redesign Team that is composed of a

significant number of hospital administrators, with only one community representative and only four people of

color as members; and

Whereas, The Governor charged the Medicaid Redesign Team with executing its goal without

compromising care for New Yorkers; and

Whereas, The Medicaid Redesign Team was asked to come up with recommendations on how to cut the

state's share of the Medicaid budget by $2.85 billion for Fiscal Year 2012; and

Whereas, This proposed cut will result in the loss of matching federal dollars bringing the total loss of

Medicaid program funding for New York to almost $6 billion for Fiscal Year 2012; and

Whereas, Medically underserved communities exist in New York City; and

Whereas, Most recently there has been a notable loss of services in underserved, immigrant and

communities of color, due to the closing of St. Mary's Hospital and its community-based health centers in

Central Brooklyn, Mary Immaculate Hospital and St. John's Hospital in Queens, and North General Hospital in

Harlem; and

Whereas, Many critically needed services such as primary care for all New Yorkers, especially the

underserved, and mental health services, are reliant upon funding from Medicaid programs to continue; and

Whereas, There are hospitals and health centers in New York City that are financially vulnerable, such

that the loss of Medicaid revenue could result in the closing of these providers; and

Whereas, The Medicaid Redesign Team was given proposals to consider that do not take into account

many of the factors for providing need based health services; and

Whereas, The approved recommendations do not protect safety net health care providers that exist in

underserved communities that serve the uninsured and Medicaid beneficiaries; and

Whereas, The Health and Hospitals Corporation could lose approximately $150 million per year in

funding based upon the recommendations that were adopted, and have already been implementing in services

because of a financial deficit; and

Whereas, The Governor has incorporated the recommendations of the Medicaid Redesign Team,

making them part of the State Executive Budget; and

Whereas, As currently proposed, the State Legislature will not be allowed to modify any of these

proposals, but rather only vote them up or down; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon New York State Governor Andrew M.

Cuomo and the New York Legislature to halt the Medicaid Redesign process and create a process that is

prudent and inclusive in order to reduce the Medicaid budget and raise additional revenue to pay for services

without compromising health care for needy New Yorkers.

FCC

LS #2175

03/010/11

The New York City Council Page 2 of 2 Printed on 4/20/2011