Issue Position: Medicaid

Issue Position

Working alongside Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli, I have been on the leading edge of the fight to reform MEDICAID in New York State. I agree, wholeheartedly, that we need to take care of people in our community and region that need medical care. My concern and the concern of every one of us should be whether Medicaid should be at the level and expense that provides more care than private health plans in the private sector? The answer to that is NO! Medicaid needs to be reformed to provide essential care - cost effectively and not be the Cadillac of health care that it has become in New York State at the expense of the taxpayer. The cost of this program is depleting the funds of our municipalities and putting them on the brink of bankruptcy. The local share of Medicaid accounts for far too large a share of our Counties' total real property tax levy. This local share, an unfunded State mandate, is driving up real property taxes -- the worst job killing tax there is -- in virtually every County in the State. That's why reform of Medicaid is so important to me.

My goal in the Senate is to continue to lead the fight to reform MEDICAID; to save property tax payers and our counties and communities our hard earned dollars. I will continue to fight for reforms such as the Medicaid Cap for Counties and the waiver that was requested for our region to create a reformed MEDICAID program; requiring recipients to use generic drugs and negotiating with the pharmaceutical companies to save us hundreds of millions of dollars; requiring utilization of managed care and easing regulations to qualify more health care providers to render managed care; and fighting abuse of the program. I am committed to fight to reform MEDICAID before it robs us of our future and the future of our children.

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