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RESTAINO'S MEDICAID PLAN WOULD MERGE 'SINGLES' INTO 'FAMILY' PLANS FOR COST SAVINGS

By Mike Hudson

Former City Court Judge Robert Restaino, running for the 145th State Assembly District seat against incumbent Republican John Ceretto, has ideas about Medicaid reform.

Restaino spent four years as the county’s Medicaid Inspector General, investigating provider fraud and identifying more than $3 million in fraudulent payments made to Medicaid service providers.

“If elected, I plan on working with Gov. Cuomo to continue his efforts to redesign Medicaid,” Restaino said. “For example, all of us who have health insurance either have single or family coverage depending upon our personal situation. But under the Medicaid Managed Care program, a family of four has four single coverage plans.”

Restaino cited Healthy New York, a state backed health insurance program aimed at uninsured working people across the state. If a family is enrolled in Healthy New York, the monthly premium is $850 a month. A family of four on Medicaid Managed Care would have four single plans which cost taxpayers $1,200 a month, a difference of $350.

Currently there are 2,000 households in Niagara County with four or more people on Medicaid, Restaino said. “If these households had one family plan as opposed to four or more single plans, the State Medicaid program would save $901,666 per month, resulting in a savings to Niagara County of $2.7 million.

“These types of changes can be made which would bring the cost of Medicaid down without impacting services for those in need.”

 

 

Niagara Falls Reporter www.niagarafallsreporter.com July 03 , 2012