County opposes proposed Medicaid changes

Mar. 13--GENESEO -- Livingston County officials expressed their opposition to Governor Andrew Cuomo's proposed changes to the New York State Local Medicaid Cost Cap in a letter sent to the County's State Legislative Delegation.

The letter was sent to Assemblywoman Marjorie Byrnes and Senators Patrick Gallivan and George Borrello.

In the letter, County Administrator Ian M. Coyle said that the proposed changes to the Local Medicaid Cost Cap will make it more difficult for the County to stay within the local property tax cap and maintain a fiscally-sound and balanced budget. Under the Governor's proposal, which was included as part of the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Executive Budget:

--Counties that fail to stay within the property tax cap in a fiscal year will lose necessary New York State Medicaid Growth payments;

--Counties that fail to keep increases in local share costs and associated state savings within 3% will be required to pay any excess amount to the State; and

--Federal savings expected to be distributed as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will be capped to Counties, but not to the State.

"Medicaid costs are hurting local governments across New York State," said Coyle. "Not only will the Governor's proposal to make significant changes to the local Medicaid Cap impose fiscal stress on local governments, but they will also render inert the Governor's signature local government achievement: the property tax cap. Shifting higher Medicaid costs to Counties will only serve to increase the necessity of Counties to override the property tax cap, which would open up Counties to even higher Medicaid costs as a penalty for overriding the cap. I urge Livingston County's Legislative Delegation to research the Governor's local Medicaid Cap proposals and work to reduce and/or eliminate the significant changes being made to the cap. After all, 30% of Livingston County's tax levy already goes to Albany to fund just one program -- our Medicaid share -- and we do not need it to be even more."

In addition to working with the County's State Legislative Delegation, Coyle will join NYSAC leadership and other County officials in meeting with U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand in Washington D.C. this week to discuss state and federal actions surrounding the Medicaid program and to push against the State's proposed action on the ACA-related distributions.

___

(c)2020 The Evening Tribune, Hornell, N.Y.

Visit The Evening Tribune, Hornell, N.Y. at www.eveningtribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.