BILL NUMBER:  S3523

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to a state
managed medical assistance demonstration project


 PURPOSE :
This bill would create a new demonstration project with up to three
counties in which the Department of Health will completely take over
the management and funding of medical assistance in the counties which
participate in the project.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :
Section 1 - adds a new section 364-m of the Social Services Law to
create a managed medical assistance demonstration project. Under the
project, up to three county social services departments interested in
participating will be chosen by the Department of Health. The
Department of Health will assume all of the duties of intake,
management and related services for persons in need of such care. In
return, the Department shall receive all of the funds that otherwise
would have been paid to the local district to provide such duties by
the state or federal government, and shall pay one hundred percent of
the non-federal share of any payments made for such services.

The project shall begin April 1, 2010, or as soon thereafter as a
              

local district shall have applied and been approved by the Department
of Health, and shall end March 31, 2013.

On or before December 31, 2012, the Commissioner of Health shall
submit a report to the Governor, the Temporary President of the Senate
and the Speaker of the Assembly describing the costs and savings of
the demonstration project with recommendations for establishing a
permanent statewide central managed medical assistance program.

Section 2 - Effective date.

 CURRENT LAW :
Currently, Medicaid services and managed by local social service
districts, with funding for the services coming from federal state and
local sources.

 JUSTIFICATION :
The current Medicaid program in New York to provide medical assistance
to persons in need of such assistance cannot be sustained. Even though
the burden to local governments has been reduced by legislation over
the last several years, property owners across New York continue to
face spiraling taxes. These Medicaid costs, when added to the rising
expenses of local governments to provide basic local services, are
beyond the means of of property owners. Property tax rates are among
the highest in the country, and even though property values have
stagnated across the state, and particularly across upstate, property
taxes are often the largest tax that a property owner pays. Even when
a homeowner has no income, or an owner of commercial property is
receiving no rent from a vacant building, the school, village, town
and county tax bills, amounting to thousands and thousands of dollars,
continue to arrive.  This bill offers an opportunity to explore,
through a pilot-program, the possibility that there is a better way to
provide and fund medical assistance in New York State.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
To be determined.

 LEGISLATIVE ,HISTORY :
New bill.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.