January 13, 2004

New York Health Care Reform Working Group Interim Report

In order to examine this multifaceted problem, Governor Pataki convened a Health Care Reform Working Group -- calling upon the experience and knowledge of business and government leaders, past and present, to provide recommendations to make our health care system more effective and efficient. Due to the complexity, size and scope of today's Medicaid program, the Working Group chose to review broad subject areas to reach conceptual agreement first on topics to address, and then to review proposals developed to address the problems in these areas. The Working Group identified specific areas or key issues that needed to be explored and reviewed. In this initial report, the Working Group addresses key areas such as long term care, certificate of need, local share of Medicaid costs, and prescription drug costs.