No NYC OTB? No Problem

No private employee gets a do-over on history if their company fails and their retirement plans disappear, but that is what the NYS Legislature is considering for employees of the defunct NYC OTB.
Introduced by Democratic Assemblyman Peter Abbate and the Rules Committee, which means the Republicans, in the Senate, this proposal would require the state to maintain the health insurance and supplemental benefits promised by retirees of the New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation.
The memorandum for this proposal argues that the state made certain promises to employees of the NYC OTB, which the state is now obligated to ensure.

It was indeed part of the quid pro quo for their employment. Upon closure, the promise was broken, resulting in severe financial hardship and even more, important, danger to the health and lives of NYCOTB retirees and their dependants.

The state of New York should honor its commitment to protect the welfare of these former public employees and restore the health insurance and supplemental benefits of current and future NYCOTB retirees. Any annual cost associated with the bill will diminish with the passage of time and must be balanced against additional cost the state would occur should these individuals need to secure other public benefits.

Interestingly, while the memo recognizes there will be costs, it concludes that the fiscal implications are not available.
This bill seems natural for the Assembly, where it has sat for a month, but its introduction three weeks ago in the Senate is a bit of surprise. Maybe it is remorse or guilt on the part of Senate Republicans who wouldn't keep the NYC OTB?

Line-Item Vetoes to Aid to Localities Budget

Ignoring the fact that this is happening almost two weeks after the budget was due, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced 22 line item vetoes to the Aid to Localities portion of the budget (SB 2803), with cuts coming to seniors, education, health and housing.
The first 14 impact the Office of Aging, with a couple cuts to transportation programs and the elimination of a $1 million pilot program for geriatric in-home
medical care initiatives that included in-home visits and consultation by physicians.
The cuts to education are more substantial, with $24 million to higher education opportunity program funds removed and $19 million struck out that was designated for the Science and Technology Entry Program and the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program.
Cuomo's veto message argues that these two allotments of money represent unconstitutional changes to his original budget. He cites the now infamous Silver v. Pataki case for the limitation on the legislature. Regardless, the governor notes that he doesn't even like the funding of these areas.
Additionally, this constitutional argument was applied to his veto of $500,000 to fund a national board for professional teaching standards certification grant program.
As for the Department of Health portions, which had two line-item vetoes, they deal with the health care reform act program, but that's all I know. These two vetoes are based on the unconstitutionality of their inclusion.
Then there are some housing cuts that go way over my head and probably only impact New York City. Luckily, you don't have to rely on my non-explanation, as we've included all 22 line-item vetoes. The only thing is that you either need to tilt your head or your computer screen to read them...

aid to localities line veto

Group of NY Docs like Budget Prescription

A coalition of primary care doctors in New York hails the recent budget as a success, for offering changes to the state's health care system and for implementing new primary care initiatives.
The group, Primary Care Coalition, acknowledged that some of the changes adopted will be difficult, but said great strides have been reached in focusing on primary care, applauded bringing health care decisions to the people and lauded the creation of incentives for doctors to provide the "right care."
Initiatives they were particularly fond of included:

• Expansion of Patient-Centered Medical Homes, so one million New Yorkers, including 600,000 of the highest-need patients, will have access to better coordinated care;
• Accountable Care Organizations that will align financial incentives with quality care and allow providers to come together and share responsibility for their patients' health;
• Incentives for telemedicine to expand access to vital health services for patients in remote areas;
• Resources for merging and restructuring safety net facilities to ensure low-income patients get the right care in the right settings; and
• An Office of Patient-Centered Primary Care Initiatives, with the mission to significantly expand quality primary care throughout New York.

The Primary Care Coalition is comprised of the Community Health Care Association of New York State; the Primary Care Development Corporation; the New York State Area Health Education Center System; the American College of Physicians, New York Chapter; and the New York State Academy of Family Physicians

Breathing Group in a Huff Over Tobacco Money

A proposed $17 million cut in the state's tobacco control program was decried on Tuesday by the American Lung Association in New York, which says the reduction will impair the program's ability to protect kids and help people quit smoking.
This cut represents reduced pain compared to the $52 million slashing proposed by the Assembly. This would have brought the total funding for tobacco control from $58 million to $6 million, which environmental and health advocates said wouldn't be enough to run any programs.
"This action is ultimately going to hurt people who want to quit smoking, the people who love them, and the state of New York," said Irwin Berlin, MD, board chair of the American Lung Association in New York. "More than 25,000 New Yorkers die from smoking each year and yet they are cutting a program that works to reduce that number while improving overall public health and reducing health care costs? This is penny-wise and pound-foolish. It's a destructive move that, in the long run, does nothing to improve the state's fiscal condition."
The Lung Association estimated that the economic costs of smoking is more than $14 billion a year, with the potential to increase in the future as 24,000 New York kids under age 18 become regular daily smokers.
Berlin added, "Just a few months ago, the Lung Association released its State of Tobacco Control Report which gave New York an "F" for the level of funding it commits to tobacco prevention and control."
The $17 million represents about a 29 percent reduction since last year, with the newest cut leading to an almost 50 percent reduction in funding since funding peaked at around $80 million in 2007.
(Editor's Note: There has not been a formal announcement about the tobacco control funding, as the subcommittee report on Health has not been announced and the budget bill dealing with health hasn't been printed.)
(Editor's Note Update: According to the American Lung Association of New York: Lung Association: NY FightForAirNY "FYI: Division of budget spokesman Morris Peters stated the $17m # on-the-record")

NY Feeling Better with Obamacare

With the one year anniversary of the Health Reform Law on Wednesday, the White House outlined the impact of the act on the state of New York.
The Obama administration stressed the reduction in costs for seniors as the result of a strengthening of Medicare. They noted that 252,288 New York residents who were impacted by Medicare's “donut hole” for prescription drugs received $250 in tax rebates, with an eventual 50 percent discount on brand-name prescription drugs when they hit the donut hole this year.
They also highlighted the fact that 74,600 young New Yorkers under the age of 26 are allowed to stay on their parents' health insurance as the result of changes from last year's law. Additionally, about 1.1 million kids in New York with pre-existing conditions will be able to get insurance, as most insurance companies are now banned from denying coverage to children because of a pre-existing condition.
The issue of costs were also addressed, as the Obama administration touted the creation $340,358 in tax credits for small businesses in New York to help offset the costs of purchasing coverage for their employees.
Finally, they noted that New York has $156 million from the Affordable Care Act. Grants to New York include:

· $1.8 million to support a consumer assistance program
· $1 million to plan for a Health Insurance Exchange
· $27 million to develop an “Early Innovator” Exchange IT model
· $1 million to crack down on unreasonable insurance premium increases
· $30.1 million to support capital development in community health centers
· $34.6 million from the Prevention and Public Health Fund
· $48 million in Therapeutic Discovery Project Program Tax Credits and Grants
· $1.7 million for Medicare improvements for patients and providers
· $6.1 million for demonstration projects to address health professions workforce needs
· $250,000 for Nursing and Home Health Aides Training Programs
· $4.1 million for Maternal, Infant and Childhood Home Visiting