Situation Report | April 18, 2022
The state Department of Health (DOH) will conduct two virtual public hearings, to provide an overview of the State’s proposed 1115 waiver amendment request, “Strategic Health Equity Reform Payment Arrangements: Making Targeted, Evidence-Based Investments to Address the Health Disparities Exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic” (SHERPA), and allow members of the public to provide comments.
This notice further serves to open the 30-day public comment period which will close on May 13, 2022.
HCA will be reviewing the waiver proposal and submitting comments.
The two virtual public hearings will be held as follows:
1.First Public Hearing
- Thursday, April 28, 2022, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
- Pre-registration is required for anyone wishing to provide oral comment using this link.
- Individuals who wish to provide comment will need to register with an “SP” in front of their name (ex: SP Jane Doe) and must email 1115waivers@health.ny.gov no later than Wednesday, April 27, 2022, at 4pm to confirm registration.
- Individuals will speak in the order of registration. We kindly request that all comments be limited to five minutes per presenter to ensure that all public comments may be heard.
2. Second Public Hearing
- Tuesday, May 3, 2022, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
- Pre-registration is required for anyone wishing to provide oral comment using this link.
- Individuals who wish to provide comment will need to register with an “SP” in front of their name (ex: SP Jane Doe) and must email 1115waivers@health.ny.gov no later than Monday, May 2, 2022, at 4pm to confirm registration.
- Individuals will speak in the order of registration. We kindly request that all comments be limited to five minutes per presenter to ensure that all public comments may be heard.
Prior to finalizing the proposed MRT 1115 waiver amendment Strategic Health Equity Reform Payment Arrangements application, the Department of Health will consider all written and verbal comments received. These comments will be summarized and addressed in the final version that is submitted to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
A draft of the proposed amendment request is available here.
Amendment Proposal Summary and Objectives
According to DOH, it is requesting $13.5 billion over five (5) years to fund a new 1115 Waiver amendment that addresses the inextricably linked health disparities and systemic health care delivery issues that have been both highlighted and intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. If approved, this 1115 Waiver amendment would utilize an array of multi-faceted and linked initiatives in order to change the way the Medicaid program integrates and pay for social care and health care in New York State (NYS).
It would also lay the groundwork for reducing long standing racial, disability-related, and socioeconomic health disparities, increase health equity though measurable improvement of clinical quality and outcomes, and keep the overall Medicaid program expenditures budget neutral to the federal government.
To achieve this overall goal of fully integrating social care and health care into the fabric of the NYS Medicaid program, while recognizing the complexity of addressing varying levels of social care needs impacting the Medicaid population, this waiver proposal is structured around four subsidiary goals:
- Building a more resilient, flexible, and integrated delivery system that reduces health disparities, promotes health equity, and supports the delivery of social care;
- Developing and strengthening supportive housing services and alternatives for the homeless and long-term institutional populations;
- Redesigning and strengthening system capabilities to improve quality, advance health equity, and address workforce shortages; and
- Creating statewide digital health and telehealth infrastructure.