Utica OD: NY budget hearings start amid Medicaid woes

By MARINA VILLENEUVE Associated Press

Posted Jan 25, 2020 at 3:06 PM

ALBANY — Public negotiations over New York’s budget are set to begin amid worries about another round of Medicaid cuts.

Heads of state agencies, lobbyists and members of the public will start to offer input on the governor’s proposed budget Monday, kicking off three weeks of budget hearings. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s $178 billion proposed spending plan would increase state spending by 1.9%.

Lawmakers are likely to focus much of their attention this spring on avoiding more cuts to Medicaid, the government health care program for people with low incomes, which serves one out of three New Yorkers. Cuomo’s administration hopes to help plug a $6 billion budget gap with $600 million in Medicaid cuts to nursing homes, hospitals and other healthcare providers.

And New Yorkers could see deeper cuts in Medicaid this year if lawmakers fail to find $2.5 billion in savings that don’t harm beneficiaries or local governments in the state budget due by April 1…

https://www.uticaod.com/news/20200125/ny-budget-hearings-start-to-amid-medicaid-woes