Updates & Analysis

On April 13th, the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of one Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team in Suffolk County to provide treatment, support, and rehabilitation services to 68 adults with serious mental illness SMI. A summary of the RFP can be found here.…

The final State budget for state fiscal year (SFY) 2017-2018 resulted in more continuity than was widely expected after the November 2016 federal elections. The budget maintains funding for a large majority of State health care programs. It includes an expansion of the Health Care Facility Transformation Program, provides additional wage support, new safety net…

On April 3rd, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2018 Rate Announcement and Call Letter, implementing policy and payment updates for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D prescription drug plans for calendar year 2018. As part of the Final Call Letter, CMS issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking recommendations on…

On April 5th, the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for one organization to take over the operation of an existing, fully-occupied 60-unit Community Residence/Single Room Occupancy (CR-SRO) supportive housing program in the Bronx for adults with a serious mental illness (SMI). This program is financed by…

On March 28th, the Managed Care Technical Assistance Center of New York (MCTAC) hosted a public feedback session on value-based payments (VBP) for behavioral health (BH) services. In particular, the session discussed the proposed Behavioral Health (BH) Value-Based Payment (VBP) Readiness Program. Through this program, the State plans to offer approximately $60 million over three…

On March 9th, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for up to $700 million in capital funding through the Health Care Facility Transformation Program (HCFTP) for health care providers located in Kings County. The funding is…

On February 13th, the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) released an RFP for the development and operation of three Part 820 Residential Services programs, with one to be located in each of the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. Each program will have between 16 and 25 beds. Both capital…

On February 15th, CMS issued a proposed rule aimed at strengthening the financial stability and predictability of enrollee costs for insurers selling coverage through the ACA marketplaces. The proposed rule makes a number of changes that apply to all ACA-compliant individual market plans, not only to plans sold on the marketplaces. Because New York operates…

On February 1st, New York State released for stakeholder feedback a draft version of the Children’s System Transition Requirements and Standards for Medicaid Managed Care Organizations. This MCO Requirements document outlines the new standards and requirements Medicaid MCOs will need to meet under the Children’s Medicaid Redesign Plan. Through the Plan, the State intends to…

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) has released guidance for Article 31 clinics seeking to provide Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) services. The IOP level of service allows clinics to offer time-limited, higher-intensity outpatient psychiatric services as an alternative to hospital stays, whether by avoiding an admission or readmission or shortening the length…

On February 7th, the New York State Department of Health hosted a webinar to review financial trends and projections for the New York State Medicaid program, in relation to the provisions of Governor Cuomo’s Executive Budget for fiscal year (FY) 2017-2018. The full presentation is available here. A list of major highlights from the presentation…

On February 1st, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2018 Advance Notice and draft Call Letter, which propose policy and payment updates for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans for calendar year 2018. The attached document summarizes major changes of the proposed rule. CMS will accept comments…