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Blog
State Budget
Truth in (Financial Plan) Reporting
Will New York State’s Mid-Year Financial Plan Update Appropriately Reflect and Address the Medicaid Budget Shortfall?
November 05, 2019
The State must recognize actual and timely payments for the Medicaid program and explain how it will address the estimated $9 billion Medicaid budget shortfall.
Blog
Taxes
Personal Income Tax Revenues in New York State and City
August 13, 2019
PIT revenues are a significant - and volatile - part of State and City budgets.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Governor Cuomo Should Veto 19 Benefit Sweetener Bills
2019 Benefit Sweetener Scorecard Update
July 12, 2019
The bills would enhance benefits without providing enhanced services to taxpayers or offsetting savings.
Special Feature
City Budget
Facts About The NYC Budget
2019
May 13, 2019
A snapshot of NYC's budget, including projections for spending, headcount, savings, liabilities, and revenue shortfalls in case of a recession.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
2019 Benefit Sweetener Scorecard
New York State Bill Tracker
May 01, 2019
For the remaining seven weeks of the legislative session, members will propose to enhance the benefits of State and local public employees and retirees.
Blog
Taxes
Follow the Money
The MTA’s New Revenues
April 05, 2019
The NYS Adopted FY 2020 Budget directs three revenue sources to support the MTA. This blog clarifies what the revenue streams are and how they will flow to the lockbox.
Blog
Taxes
Pied-à-Terre Tax
Appealing but Problematic
March 13, 2019
The pied-à-terre tax is appealing politically because it is levied on wealthy people with means to pay and nonresidents who do not vote. Nevertheless, it is problematic for several reasons.
Blog
City Budget
NYC Revenues in a Recession
Quantifying the Potential Shortfall
February 26, 2019
The potential shortfall from a recession comparable to the last two recessions could be substantial: between $15 billion and $20 billion below projections over three years.
Blog
Health Care
Medicaid Supplemental Payments
State Workgroup Makes Limited Progress on Part of the Problem
February 15, 2019
New York State’s $78 billion Medicaid program includes $5.3 billion of “supplemental payments”. These supplemental payments are crucial to hospitals across the state, especially those largely serving uninsured and Medicaid populations.
Special Feature
Health Care
Facts About Medicaid in New York
September 15, 2016
This infographic presents facts about enrollment in and the costs of Medicaid in New York State.
Blog
City Budget
The “20-20-20-20” Dilemma: Legacy Costs in the New York City Budget
July 22, 2016
A giant slice of the New York City budget pays for costs that are the legacy of commitments made in the past: debt service, pensions, and retiree health insurance. These legacy costs already exceed 20 percent of the budget and will expand by 20 percent to more than $20 billion in annual spending by fiscal year 2020.
Special Feature
Health Care
Local Medicaid Spending
May 26, 2016
An interactive map that indicates the burden of the local share of Medicaid costs falls hardest on the poorest counties. Rescinding the State’s assumption of growth for New York City will further exacerbate this inequity. New York City currently has the highest Medicaid burden per capita at $597, compared to the average local share throughout the rest of the State of only $190 per capita.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Legislature Introduces Even More Benefit Sweeteners
May 18, 2016
The State Legislature has introduced 8 new bills to enhance the benefits of State and local public employees and retirees in the 2016 session.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
2016 Benefit Sweetener Scorecard
May 02, 2016
The Citizens Budget Commission’s 2016 Benefit Sweetener Scorecard identifies more than 60 such bills active this session. These bills could cost the State and local governments hundreds of millions of dollars per year, and since about half the bills do not specify a fiscal impact, the potential costs could be significantly greater.
Blog
State Budget
A Step Backward on Medicaid Funding
March 24, 2016
New York’s policy of requiring counties and New York City to pay a sizable share of Medicaid costs is out of step with other states and results in an inequitable distribution of Medicaid costs among New York taxpayers. In 2005 the State capped the growth in the local share of Medicaid, which was a step in the right direction. In 2012 the State began a phased takeover of local share growth—a further improvement. However, the 2017 Executive Budget proposes to reinstitute New York City’s contribution toward growth in Medicaid expenses, which would be a giant step backwards.
Blog
State Budget
Pass Governor’s Proposal to Reform State Retiree Health Insurance Benefits
March 13, 2016
State of New York retirees with more than 10 years of service receive health insurance benefits substantially more generous than those offered by private sector and most public sector employers. Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Budget for FY2017 includes a fair proposal to reduce these growing costs, and the Legislature should adopt it.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Giving Credit Where It’s Due? New York City’s $1.3 Billion in Health Insurance Savings
December 28, 2014
In its recent mid-year budget modification the de Blasio administration credited a coalition of municipal employee unions with achieving $1.3 billion in savings in the City’s employee and retiree health insurance costs. Yet the unions have not agreed to any changes in the plan, and the City and the unions have taken no actions to reduce costs. How can this be?
Blog
Health Care
Agency Focus: NYS DOH
Budget Analysis
November 03, 2014
The New York State Department of Health has overseen dramatic changes in the state's healthcare system in recent years, including the passage of the federal Affordable Care Act and development of the state's own health care exchange website.
Blog
Health Care
Agency Focus: HHC
Budget Analysis
September 22, 2014
Short budget profiled of the finances and challenges of New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) - now known as NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H).
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
LIRR Pension Fraud Could Happen Again
August 04, 2014
Summarizes findings from a GAO report indicating the federal agency administering disability pensions for those workers had not done enough to prevent a repeat of a widespread fraud scheme by LIRR employees uncovered in 2008.