Health, Department of

Agency Web Site: http://www.health.ny.gov/

Mission

The Department of Health is charged with the protection and promotion of the health of New Yorkers through prevention, science and the assurance of quality health care delivery. The Department is the principal State agency that oversees the Medicaid Program and other public health insurance programs.

The Department operates health care facilities including Helen Hayes Hospital, four veteran’s nursing homes, and the Wadsworth Laboratories. In addition, DOH conducts oversight of health professionals and all other health care facilities to ensure that high quality, cost effective, health care alternatives are provided throughout the State.

Budget Highlights

The Executive Budget recommends $119 billion for the Department of Health, including $113 billion for Medicaid and $6 billion for remaining health program spending. This reflects an increase of $10 billion from the 2012-13 Budget primarily reflecting the continuation of two-year appropriations for Medicaid and the addition of Federal Health Care Reform funding.

The Executive Budget recommends a workforce of 5,020 FTEs for the Department. This is an increase of 385 FTEs from the 2012-13 budget, which is intended to provide staff to support the second year of the phased takeover of local government administration of the Medicaid program and the implementation of the Federal Health Care Reform Exchange.

Major Budget initiatives include:

• Advancing Medicaid Redesign team reforms. A cost neutral package of initiatives are proposed to enhance health homes, increase support for affordable housing, address the needs of vital community providers, promote tobacco cessation and integrate service delivery. These investments are balanced by savings from improvements in basic benefit design, more appropriate treatment outcomes, greater controls on pharmaceuticals and compliance with Federal law that requires spousal support for relatives receiving long term care services.
• Coordinating public health benefits associated with the implementation of the New York Health Benefit Exchange on January 1, 2014.
• Improving General Public Health Work program to better promote State health outcomes, incentivize performance and reduce the administrative burden on counties.
• Reforming the Early Intervention Program to expand insurance coverage and streamline eligibility determinations.
• Restructuring health care program funding to improve health outcomes.
• Eliminating the planned 2013-14 1.4 percent cost of living increase for certain providers.
• Retargeting Excess Medical Malpractice Funding.
• Shifting Child Health Plus rate setting to the Department of Health from the Department of Financial Services.

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – Health Care (PDF)

Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/22/2013

Click for additional detailed appropriation tables