Rockland County Executive Ed Day is sounding the alarm after a recent report from State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli revealed that New York wasted more than $1.2 billion paying Medicaid premiums for individuals who no longer live in the state.
Day praised the Comptroller for bringing the issue to light but sharply criticized Albany for its handling of taxpayer dollars.
“If Albany can’t manage its own programs, how can it expect to monitor counties or dictate local error rates?” Day said.
The County Executive argued that the wasted Medicaid funding could have covered New York’s looming shortfall in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Instead, he noted, the state has opted to distribute $400 “inflation checks,” which he says do little to address skyrocketing food and utility costs.
Day also reminded residents that New York has previously been fined for misusing Medicaid funds, including extending coverage beyond federal guidelines, which triggered a 10% reimbursement cut from the federal government.