[NYAPRS Enews] CHP: Cuomo Expected to Put Medicaid MH Services Into Managed Care

[Harvey Rosenthal]

NYAPRS Note: Here's another indication that Medicaid mental health
services for people with SSI level psychiatric disabilities that are
currently exempt from managed care will be proposed to be "carved in" in
some new design under development by the Cuomo Administration. Stay
tuned for possible details in this afternoon's State of the State
address. 

And mark your calendars for NYAPRS April 27-8 Annual Executive Seminar,
"Implementing Health and Mental Health System Reform" that will focus
extensively on emerging new integrated and managed care designs and
feature 

*         several panels on managed behavioral healthcare and key
figures 

*         SAMHSA Senior Advisor for Health Care Financing John O'Brien, 

*         national consultants Dale Jarvis and Richard Dougherty, 

*         a NYS Commissioners Panel, 

*         University of Illinois at Chicago Psychiatric Institute's
Judith Cook, 

*         'Anatomy of an Epidemic' author Robert Whitaker, 

*         SAMHSA/HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions Deputy
Director Larry Fricks, 

*         CSP-NY Director of Institute for Wellness and Recovery
Initiatives Peggy Swarbrick, 

*         and numerous other presenters and programs. 

 

Cuomo's Medicaid Cuts And Reforms

Crain's Health Pulse, 1/5/2011

 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo won't be releasing his budget until February, but his
State of the State address today will most likely give some indication
of

his Medicaid agenda. The speech "will contain nothing good for health
care," one hospital executive said yesterday.

 

The industry is bracing for deep Medicaid cuts, with talk of a 7%
across-the-board reimbursement cut for providers. Hospitals and unions
have

been working hard to come up with alternatives; the budget deficit means
the usual "no cuts" message will get no sympathy.

 

What's on the table? Reforming high-cost Medicaid programs. Personal
care and home care are top targets. A recent United Hospital Fund report

documented heavy use of personal care services and noted that 2009
Medicaid spending on personal care for just 80,000 New Yorkers carried a
$2.7 billion tab. Both personal care and home care spending have been
targeted for savings over the past two years. But the Legislature
rejected better

management of use.

 

Another target is the severely mentally ill. The state already has
started to bring down the high cost of patients with mental or substance
abuse

problems who rely on emergency departments for care. This high-cost
population is carved out of managed care, but that is likely to change.

 

Mr. Cuomo is also considering New York's generous plate of optional
benefits, including dental, eye and podiatry services.

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