DOC ID:  n00000329

Title: Talk of Medicaid Reform Welcome

Posted on: 01/07/2004

Legacy Doc ID# 14401402

NEWS RELEASE

For Release:  IMMEDIATE
January 7, 2004		 Contact: Daniel Curran
(518) 449-2707, ext. 124
(518) 346-2615 (evenings)

Talk of Medicaid Reform Welcome, Say State's Long Term Care Providers
Statement by NYAHSA President Carl S. Young

"NYAHSA and its members welcome the governor's call for reform of the state's Medicaid system and his support of restructuring long term care, such as ensuring the availability of home and community-based service options, assisted living and state of the art nursing home care.. We wholeheartedly agree that these changes would represent good policy, and are anxious to work with the administration in these areas and to learn more of the details. 

Medicaid reform is inseparable from long term care reform because Medicaid is the major funding source for long term care in New York state.  This is a great opportunity to make significant changes to the current system to make it more efficient and responsive to elderly and disabled New Yorkers.

NYAHSA and its not-for-profit, mission-driven and public provider members are committed to helping the state accomplish its goal and recently issued Preserving Long Term Care for the Long Term Future, a report offering many recommendations, including:

  1. Developing an overall state Medicaid policy, supported by agency business plans;
  2. Limiting the local government financial share of Medicaid costs;
  3. Creating a uniform process with multiple points of entry into the LTC system to provide unbiased information on services, and help with screening and eligibility;
  4. Allowing nursing homes to voluntarily "rightsize," and expanding home and community-based services capacity and the use of case management; and
  5. Making Medicaid a more proactive program focused on expanded primary care, preventative care and disease management."

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The full text of the NYAHSA report issued Preserving Long Term Care for the Long Term Future, and a six-page briefing document that summarizes the report are available on the NYAHSA Web site at www.nyahsa.org. 

Founded in 1961, the New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging is the only statewide organization representing the entire continuum of not-for-profit, mission-driven and public continuing care, including nursing homes, senior housing, adult care facilities, continuing care retirement communities, assisted living providers, and community service providers.  NYAHSA's more than 650 members serve an estimated 500,000 New Yorkers of all ages annually.