On today’s edition of “The Capitol Pressroom,” we had Stephen Acquario, head of  NYSAC, and Maggie Brooks, Monroe County Executive, to talk about the movement of Medicaid control from a local to a state level. Medicaid spending for New York State alone is $52-billion a year. Every county in New York State is mandated to contribute $7-billion a year to Medicaid. This money comes from those who pay property taxes. There are many concerns that have come out of this shift from a local to a state operation. There are many counties who do more than just provide Medicaid. There are people, according to Maggie Brooks, who have jobs like Medicaid Fraud Investigators and Attorneys for the County who are associated with Medicaid, for example, that could loose their job because of this shift. Brooks hopes that the NYSDOH (New York State Department of Health) realizes that you can improve quality and reduce costs. Stephen said that this proposal is to help realign a very important program to the state. That what was spoke about is merely a conversation about the administrative side of Medicaid – a plan to phase out one jurisdiction for another. Be sure to tune in today!

(*posted by: Jennifer Kelley, producer)