August 21, 2025

Earlier this year the NYS Council led a statewide effort to identify and secure legislative sponsors for our bill seeking a carve out of MH and SUD outpatient services from the state’s Medicaid managed care program.  We are grateful to Assemblywoman Jo Ann Simon and Senator Samra Brouk for championing this important legislation that seeks to move the responsibility for reimbursement of outpatient mental health and substance use disorder Medicaid services back to the state’s Medicaid Fee for Service Program.  This is not an action that would separate people from their benefits.  This is merely an action to return reimbursement to the FFS system.  In addition, the legislation makes clear that no service should be carved out if MMC is the only mechanism for reimbursement of a particular program or service. Our bill numbers are: A8055 (Simon) /S8309 (Brouk) and the legislation is active in both houses.

To ensure we are successful in our campaign for a carve out during the coming legislative session, we need to update the information and data we collected from our members in 2023.  As such, we have put together a revised and considerably shorter version of that survey.  Here is a link to the Survey:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DCFKHX

The deadline for submission is Wednesday, September 10.

In 2023, the NYS Council had a tremendous response from our members to our request for information and data on this topic. THANK YOU!  We know your time is precious and so we always refrain from surveying our members on other issues throughout the year so we can come to you with requests such as the ones currently in play.  You will notice that the survey does not collect information on all OASAS and OMH Programs and Services and this is based on data that may be available through other sources.

At the end of the day we need to illustrate the Medicaid managed care disaster we are stuck in at the present time.  The timing is right for a victory on this issue – but only if we have your full throated support.

If you have questions about the information requested do not hesitate to contact me at your convenience at 518 461-8200.

Note:  As you know, we also have our commercial insurance survey awaiting your response.  PLEASE strongly encourage your key staff to fill out that survey so we can bring additional pressure on state regulators to enforce Part AA, the new commercial insurance law.  The original deadline for submission was tomorrow but we are extending it to next Wednesday (August 27).  

Here’s the survey:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LTK7XVZ

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your time and expertise.  We appreciate you!