January 25, 2008
SNAPS FOR SPITZER BUDGET
With expanded health coverage, new HIV care and prevention and restored SSI invisibility, Spitzer budget proposal gets thumbs-up
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Coming soon: More primary care docs that take Medicaid |
Despite the tight budget year, Gov. Eliot Spitzer has continued to make the right reforms and investments in health care. In addition to the much-needed restoration of SSI invisibility for low-income households receiving the AIDS rent enhancement, his proposals would expand access to family doctors, improve the quality of care, and save money for the taxpayers by controlling drug costs and reforming insurance rates.
"The Legislature should fill this prescription and keep our state's progress on health care moving forward," said Housing Works legislative counsel Michael Kink.
For a full break-down of the budget, click here. Here are the health care highlights of Spitzer's 2007-08 budget proposal:
- Enhanced reimbursement for primary and preventive health care;
- Restructured hospital rates based on real costs, not prior payment structures;
- Health care cost containment ($990 million) focused on those institutions that can best afford it: Pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies
- Trim in "trend factor" rate increase for hospitals, nursing homes (note that hundreds of community-based health care providers get NO regular trend factor)
- Expansion in health coverage for kids in working families, youth in foster care; reforms and streamlining in program administration
- $5.6 million in new investments in front-line HIV care and prevention