Medicaid Schmedicaid

Well, after much fanfare and apparent pretense, Cuomo’s team of experts, given the simple task of identifying ways to improve New York’s appallingly inefficient and expensive Medicaid system, have failed.  Nowhere is there a mention of  residency requirements or utilizing the data tracking system
developed by the Salient Corporation and instituted by County Executive Tom Santulli of Chemung County.  In one case, this system was able to identify one Medicaid recipient who was getting his prescriptions filled at six different drugstores.  This has saved Chemung County millions, and there isn’t any reason why it can’t be instituted statewide.

Here is the summary:
*NOTE: Medicaid coverage is available, regardless of alien status, if you are pregnant or require treatment for an emergency medical condition. A doctor must certify that you are pregnant or had an emergency, and you must meet all other eligibility requirements.

What health services are covered by Medicaid?
In general, the following services are paid for by Medicaid, but some may not be covered for you because of your age, financial circumstances, family situation, transfer of resource requirements, or living arrangements. Some services have small co-payments. These services may be provided using your Medicaid card or through your managed care plan if you are enrolled in managed care. You will not have a co-pay if you are in a managed care plan, except for pharmacy services, where a small co-pay will be applied.

• smoking cessation agents
• treatment and preventive health and dental care (doctors and dentists)
• hospital inpatient and outpatient services
• laboratory and X-ray services
• care in a nursing home
• care through home health agencies and personal care
• treatment in psychiatric hospitals (for persons under 21 or those 65 and older), mental health facilities, and facilities for the mentally retarded or the developmentally disabled
• family planning services
• early periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment for children under 21 years of age under the Child/Teen Health Program
• medicine, supplies, medical equipment, and appliances (wheelchairs, etc.)
• clinic services
• transportation to medical appointments, including public transportation and car mileage
• emergency ambulance transportation to a hospital
• prenatal care
• some insurance and Medicare premiums
• other health services

See the documentation here:
Proposals Approved by the NYS Medicaid Redesign Team Feb 24, 2011