New York grapples with kinks in $1B Medicaid system
WORKING OUT THE KINKS: New York’s Department of Health began transitioning more than 147,000 Medicaid and Medicare Savings Program enrollees to an upgraded case management system about a year ago. Since then, state officials say only a third of them have been able to automatically renew their coverage without assistance. The shift is part of a $1.1 billion contract aimed at creating an automated…
New York's Department of Health has been rolling out an upgraded Medicaid and Medicare Savings Program case management system for over 147,000 enrollees, as part of a $1.1 billion contract. However, only a third of them have been able to automatically renew their coverage without assistance, according to state officials. The initiative aims to create a centralized system run through New York State of Health, moving away from local social services departments relying on outdated paper applications.
While the system was thoroughly tested by the Health Department and Deloitte Consulting, advocates warn that errors have jeopardized health care coverage for seniors, blind, and disabled individuals. Inaccurate information transfer, a flawed asset verification tool, and state workers' inability to override inappropriate denials have been identified as major issues.
Deloitte, the system's creator, did not respond to requests for comment. The contract extension, which added $866 million, now totals $1.18 billion. The Health Department emphasized that the transition will replace the outdated, error-prone paper-based system with a streamlined platform, subject to federal review and approval.
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