State Receives Final Approval of $8B Medicaid Waiver
On April 14, 2014, Governor Cuomo announced that the federal government has officially signed off on New York’s Medicaid waiver, which will allow the State to reinvest, over the next five years, $8 billion in federal savings generated by Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) reforms. According to the press release, the $8 billion reinvestment will be allocated as follows:
- $6.42 Billion for the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) Program – including DSRIP Planning Grants, DSRIP Provider Incentive Payments, and DSRIP administrative costs;
- $500 Million for the Interim Access Assurance Fund – temporary, time-limited funding to ensure current trusted and viable Medicaid safety net providers can fully participate in the DSRIP transformation without disruption; and
- $1.08 Billion for other Medicaid Redesign purposes – funding to support Health Home development, and investments in long term care, workforce and enhanced behavioral health services.
The State has just posted to the DSRIP website several official documents related to the waiver including the special terms and conditions, the program funding and mechanics protocol, strategies and metrics, the definition of eligible safety net providers, and waiver timelines. These documents are all subject to public comment, as further discussed below.
DSRIP is designed to reduce hospitalizations (including emergency department visits) by 25 percent over five years, by promoting collaborations to help create a more integrated service delivery system. The DSRIP website provides data for providers to review to help identify possible ways to target reduction of hospitalizations and system reform. This will be a key tool as members consider how they may be able to partner with others in their region.
LeadingAge NY has conducted education on DSRIP with association partners, which can be accessed here. We are also working to reschedule a planned NYC event on DSRIP. In the meantime, you can review LeadingAge NY’s most recent updated summary of the Medicaid waiver here.
As a part of the waiver approval process, DOH is holding public hearings to solicit feedback from interested parties. No pre-registration is required for the hearings. Speakers will be asked to register onsite and will be given two minutes to ask questions or provide comments. Public Hearings are scheduled for:
April 15, 2014 – Rochester
8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
April 15, 2014 – Syracuse
2 – 5 p.m.
April 16, 2014 – Albany
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
**also available by conference call**
April 17, 2014 – Brooklyn
Noon – 3 p.m.
April 23, 2014 – Buffalo
1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Click here to review the Partnership Plan Section 1115 Waiver Information for information on the public hearings, information on other ways to provide comment, and the extension application. The final 2014-15 state budget appropriates $4 billion for purposes of making payments authorized by the waiver, as well as extensive provisions to promote public oversight and transparency of the DSRIP process and associated MRT initiatives.
LeadingAge NY will keep you updated as we learn more and analyze the newly issued documents. In the meantime, do not hesitate to contact me or our Advocacy and Public Policy staff if you have any questions.
Contact: Ami Schnauber, aschnauber@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8854