RESOLUTION CALLING ON THE GOVERNOR AND NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE TO PRESERVE THE ZERO PERCENT MEDICAID GROWTH CAP FOR ALL COUNTIES AND NEW YORK CITY
Offered by: Ways & Means Committee
WHEREAS, spending in New York State for Medicaid is
the single largest expense in the State budget; and
WHEREAS, the funding to support the Medicaid
program is provided by a combination of federal, state, and local resources;
and
WHEREAS, the required county and New York City
contribution is $7.6 billion annually; and
WHEREAS, the local share of Medicaid funding paid
in New York is the highest of any state in the country and is more than what 43
individual states pay in state share for their Medicaid programs; and
WHEREAS, this large local funding share for
Medicaid and other state programs is a major contributor to New York’s high
local tax burden compared to other states; and
WHEREAS, the Governor and legislative leaders
recognize the fiscal burden the financing of Medicaid is for local taxpayers
and initiated steps to relieve part of that burden by capping the growth of
local costs in this program; and
WHEREAS, one of the most prominent property tax
reduction and mandate relief initiatives in state history was Governor Cuomo’s
establishment of the zero percent Medicaid growth cap; and
WHEREAS, this zero percent growth cap enables
counties to keep funding for the growing cost of many vital state programs and
services, while continuing local quality of life services demanded by
taxpayers; and
WHEREAS, the Medicaid budget is facing billions of
dollars in annual deficits over the next several years; and
WHEREAS, these Medicaid deficits are contributing
to the largest budget deficit the State has faced since the Great Recession;
and
WHEREAS, the Governor’s Executive Budget
Recommendation is proposing a variety of ways to address these combined fiscal
shortfalls; and
WHEREAS, budget proposals advanced by the Governor
rely on $150 million in Medicaid program costs assumed by local taxpayers; and
include:
·
Using county government federal enhanced Medicaid match savings;
·
Losing state Medicaid growth cap if counties breach the state property tax
cap
·
Shifting the local share of Medicaid growth above 3 percent to counties,
if counties cannot contain costs under 3 percent; and
WHEREAS,
counties do not have
tools to control the Medicaid program growth; some of these limitations
include:
·
The
ability to audit the Medicaid program;
·
The
ability to control the cost of prescription drugs;
·
The
ability to set provider reimbursement rates;
·
The
ability to modify eligibility and benefit levels for Medicaid recipients;
·
The
ability to control changing demographics across the state;
·
The
ability to control provider contracts; and
WHEREAS, if state experts in the Medicaid program
are unable to develop solutions to control growth in the Medicaid program, it
will be impossible for counties to do so since they do not have this authority
to control costs, now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED:
1. That the Allegany County Board of
Legislators urges the Governor and legislative leaders to maintain the zero
percent Medicaid growth cap for counties and New York City as they address
state budget shortfalls in order to keep downward pressure on the local tax
burden.
2. That the Clerk of this Board is directed to send a certified copy of
this resolution to Governor Andrew Cuomo, members of the New York State
Legislature, Senator George Borrello, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator
Charles Schumer, Assemblyman Joseph M.
Giglio, United States Representative Tom Reed, members of the New York State Senate Health Committee (Gustavo Rivera,
Alessandra Biaggi, David Carlucci, Todd Kaminsky, and Jen Metzger), members of
the New York State Assembly Health Committee (Dick Gottfried, Sandy Galef, Amy
Paulin, Aileen Gunter, Phil Steck, and Ed Braunstein), the New York State
Association of Counties, and the InterCounty Association of WNY.
