Statement on Concerning Transition of School-Based Health Centers to Managed Care

 

State Senator Gustavo Rivera released the following statement.

"I am deeply concerned about the Executive’s decision to transition the School-Based Health Center (SBHC) program to Medicaid Managed Care (MMC) despite the Legislature's unanimous approval of S7840 (Rivera) / A8862 (Paulin), which would have kept the program in Medicaid Fee-For-Service (FFS) permanently.

"The Executive argues this shift will improve care coordination, but the existing SBHC program already requires coordination with other providers. If there are gaps, they can be addressed without dismantling the current funding structure that effectively supports this program. Moreover, transitioning to managed care will likely inflate the overall cost of the program due to additional administrative fees, forcing taxpayers to bear the burden or, worse, eroding the quality of care provided to students across our state.

"I am urging the Hochul administration to come to the table to find a path forward that doesn’t jeopardize access to healthcare at schools for New York’s most vulnerable children."