Assemblyman Tom O’Mara (R,I,C-Big Flats) today attended a forum on ways to reduce Medicaid misuse and save billions in taxpayer dollars.  Several experts on reducing Medicaid waste from the Southern Tier gave testimony at the event, including Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli and Salient President Guy Amisano.

            “Chemung County has worked hard to recoup more of the statewide estimated $4 billion in annual waste, fraud and abuse, and has been a leader in utilizing the newest technology in their efforts to reform the county’s Medicaid system,” said O’Mara. “I applaud County Executive Santulli for his continued efforts to ensure that Medicaid provides the best possible care at sustainable rates.”

            Currently, New York’s Medicaid program is the largest in the nation, spending nearly $1 billion a week on the program.  Spending on Medicaid has increased 76 percent since 2000 with one in five Chemung County residents using Medicaid as their health care provider.  Statewide, one in nine New Yorkers rely on the program for their health care needs.   

            “Medicaid is an important program and provides millions of New Yorkers with health care services. However, at the current rate of growth, the program is unsustainable.  To ensure the program’s future and reduce its cost to taxpayers, especially property taxpayers, the state must implement a comprehensive plan to reform Medicaid,” said O’Mara.  

            Assemblyman O’Mara remarked that combating Medicaid misuse requires using a three- pronged strategy.  First, provide every county with the tools they need to combat Medicaid fraud like the data mining software created by Salient. Second, pass legislation that will entice state and local governments to more aggressively seek to root out Medicaid waste, fraud and abuse.  Finally, educate the public on how to make smart health care choices.