ELMIRA – Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli testified before the New York State Senate Republican Task Force on Medicaid Fraud yesterday to discuss the impact of the Medicaid program on County government and how the State and local governments can work together to control this ever expanding program.

Santulli, who is also the president of the New York State Association of Counties, along with Guy Amisano, president of Salient Corporation, presented the newly formed task force with some suggestions on how the State can partner with counties to control spending and reduce Medicaid program costs.

“The facts surrounding the magnitude of New York State’s Medicaid program are astonishing at $52 Billion, that’s one billion dollars every week,” said Santulli. “It is larger than the total individual budgets of 43 other states.  If New York’s Medicaid program was a business it would rank 35th on the Fortune 500 list.  It comprises nearly 30 percent of all healthcare spending.  Finally, most interesting and some what disturbing, is the fact that 50 percent of all births in our State are paid for with Medicaid dollars,” added Santulli.

Santulli and Amisano discussed how Chemung County will utilize the data tracking system developed by the Salient Corporation, in combination with electronic medical records, to examine patient services and costs and identify opportunities to lower overall medical spending in the recently opened Priority Community Healthcare, Chemung County’s Medicaid Medical Home. The center will provide intensive care management for previously unenrolled Medicaid managed care patients.

Santulli would like the State to partner with counties to control the program noting that the policy decisions which effect enrollment growth and Medicaid maximization are Albany’s alone. “This program, if left unchecked, will ultimately lead to the fiscal demise of this State,” said Santulli. “The program in its’ current form is financially unsustainable. We must work together to control the growth in spending. With proper oversight and a managed care model we can do this, while also providing better medical outcomes for our Medicaid population.

Click here to view a copy of Santulli’s testimony and related slide presentation.