NYC-WTC_000195490

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

to reach this limit. In June 2000 there were 61,000 families that would have been affected by the time limit, but through the Department’s efforts in providing employment opportunities and other services this number had declined to 39,760 as of April 2001. In 2002 the Department will continue to reduce the number further through targeted employment and assessment services that help families move to unsubsidized employment. Federal law permits the exemptionpf Some cases from the time limit but the Department will provide services and assistance to all families that could be impacted. In the event that there are families in this group remaining on Public Assistance in December 2001, they will be eligible for the State Safety Net program. There will be no additional costs incurred because of Federal rules that permit these costs to count towards the TANF maintenance of effort.

Medical Assistance

The Medical Assistance Program (MAP) funds health care services through Medicaid for 1.8 million low- income New York City residents. Medicaid recipients receive a wide range of medical services including primary care, hospital inpatient, emergency room, physician, pharmacy, clinic, nursirig home, personal care, dental, /rehabilitation, transportation, vision care, laboratory and x-ray.

The 2002 Executive Budget for Medical Assistance is $2.7 billion in City funds (excluding expenditures for the Health and Hospitals Corporation, the Department of the Health and administrative costs).

The 2p02 budget increases by $131 million or 5.2 percent, from the 2001 forecast. The primary factors contributing to the cost increases include; ‘

• pharmacy costs are expected to rise due to greater utilization and higher prices, creating an increase of $75 million.

; • hospital inpatient expenditures are expected to increase by $22 million.

• rate increases implemented by New York State in 2001 for physician office visit.s and dental procedures will result in higher costs.

Under HealthSTAT, which began in March 2000, the Department has enrolled 96,000 children and parents into Medicaid and Child Health Plus. This initiative to enroll uninsured New Yorkers into health insurance programs includes a multimedia outreach campaign and the use of advanced technology to facilitate eligibility determinations and enrollment. The Department also deploys a mobile van for community outreach activities to promote education and enrollment. In addition. Helpline, including integrated voice response technology, allows individuals to'tall and request information of conduct an eligibility prescreening. The 2002 Executive Budget ihcludes an additional $6.5 million in total funds for personnel to conduct outreach, process applications and recertify eligibility.

In 2001, MAP opened a Brooklyn Medicaid recertification office where Brooklyn residents can reestablish J Medicaid eligibility land MAP plans to open similar offices in Queens and the Bronx. The Department has also : combined non-public assistance Food Stamp and Medicaid recertification in order to simplify the process. MAP I will test telephone recertification for child-only cases and continues to work with the State Department of Health to simplify the documentation and processing requirements for children.

In 2002 the Department, in cooperation with the Federal Social Security Administration, will convert individuals With work histories who were inappropriately placed in the Supplemental Security Income Program (SSI) into the Social'Security Disability Insurance Program (SSDI). Savings of $3.5 million in 2002 will be realized from conversion of these individuals to the 100% federally funded Medicare program from Medicaid. ' ' i

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