| Memorandum in Support |
| For Immediate Release: February 2, 2024 Re: A.6020 (Paulin) / S.4788 (Rivera) – AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to reimbursement of transportation costs for certain enrollees under Medicaid |
The New York Health Plan Association (HPA) supports A.6020/S.4788, which would reverse the carve out of non-emergency transportation services from managed long-term care (MLTC). The New York Health Plan Association supports this proposal.
Transportation is a critical component of a plan’s ability to manage and coordinate a member’s access to care – particularly upstate and in more rural areas of the state. Moving the benefit back under the management of MLTC plans allows health plans to provide a higher coordination of care and streamline services for their members. This will also provide health plans with more oversight of the contractors providing the transportation benefit.
As part of the work of the Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT), the state moved this benefit out of the MLTC benefit package in FY20, citing an estimated $13.4M in state savings. To date, these savings have not materialized. The state has failed to prove that a centralized transportation contract would save money or improve care coordination. This bill seeks to rectify this by moving the benefit back under the management of MLTC plans.
For these reasons, HPA supports A.6020/S.4788.