New York – NY Health Exchange Adds 1.1 Million To Medicaid

    4

    New York – New York has added 1.1 million people to Medicaid since the state health exchange opened last year in the national effort to connect the uninsured with low-cost coverage.

    Join our WhatsApp group

    Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email


    More than 6.2 million New Yorkers are now enrolled, almost one-third of its 19 million people.

    The exchange, which was designed to connect uninsured New Yorkers with commercial policies, had the effect of bringing a larger number of low-income residents to the government-funded program.

    Elisabeth Benjamin, vice president for health initiatives at the Community Service Society of New York, said the expansion has succeeded in the goal of reducing state’s uninsured, which was estimated at about 2.7 million people.

    “It’s working,” she said.

    New census data in September should show how many uninsured are left, Benjamin said.

    Enrollment under the Affordable Care Act has surged beyond expectations in some states, raising concerns about costs straining budgets. At least seven states have increased their cost estimates for 2017, according to an Associated Press analysis.

    While the overhaul pushed many states to expand Medicaid eligibility, New York was largely there already — it only had to raise the income threshold for single adults. That added almost 150,000 people — about twice as many as anticipated — though federal funds cover nearly that entire cost, according to budget officials.

    At the same time, more than 525,000 other New Yorkers, already poor enough to qualify, enrolled. That was largely expected.

    Also, the new computerized state-run system slowed the so-called “churn” that was annually kicking many eligible people out of Medicaid, often for months, Benjamin said.

    Medicaid in New York costs about $63.5 billion this year, almost half the state budget. That’s up from $52.1 billion five years ago.

    However, the state’s $22.5 billion share this year is flatter, up from $21.3 billion five years ago, according to budget officials. They cite higher federal reimbursements and frugal measures like a self-imposed spending cap and pushing patients into managed care.

    Enrollment is projected to rise to almost 6.5 million in 2019 at a state cost of $24.9 billion.

    A large segment of the remaining uninsured in New York are immigrants in the country without legal documentation, Benjamin said. They qualify under current law only for Medicaid’s emergency coverage, she said.


    Listen to the VINnews podcast on:

    iTunes | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean | Amazon

    Follow VINnews for Breaking News Updates


    Connect with VINnews

    Join our WhatsApp group


    4 Comments
    Most Voted
    Newest Oldest
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    ayoyo
    ayoyo
    8 years ago

    The truth be said ,the cost of med. ins. is beyond the means of most low paid and even middle income earners .What we need is a federal med. ins. program that most people could afford .We must rid washington from all lobbyists that promote income for their supporters. The health industry has control of washington. When the supreme court held for the obama care program , the stocks of health care related industry shot up , that is enough proof of what the program is about,filling the pockets of the operators of the system.

    DrGee
    DrGee
    8 years ago

    The previous comment raises the main issues that are wrong with healthcare delivery in this country and how to fix it.Get rid of parasitic health insurance companies who are only interested raising dividends for their stock shareholders.Create a fund like Medicare and pay doctors fee for service.This is not socialized medicine where you an employee of the government the doctors still control how much they make.

    Realist77
    Realist77
    8 years ago

    Your state taxes will keep rising. All these ” free” benefits are coming out of the honest workers pockets.

    8 years ago

    The last line of the article is but one reason why this country desperately needs Trump for president!