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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
Education
Agency Focus: NYSED
Budget Analysis
October 15, 2014
What are the challenges facing the New York State Education Department's (NYSED)?
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
Education
New York Led the Nation in Education Spending in 2012
June 01, 2014
New U.S. Census data show New York maintained its position as the top per-pupil spender among states on public elementary-secondary education in 2012.
Blog
Education
What School Aid Cap?
For a Second Year School Aid Grows More than 5 Percent
April 03, 2014
The fiscal year 2015 New York State enacted budget increased school aid by $1.1 billion for school year 2014-15, or 5.4 percent - above the "cap" of 4 percent.
Blog
Education
Fix New York State’s Broken School Aid Formulas
March 11, 2014
Large increase in school aid proposed in the State fiscal year 2014-15 Executive Budget will be misdirected to school districts with less need than others.
Blog
Education
School Aid in the 2014-15 Executive Budget: An Overview
January 27, 2014
Reviews Governor Andrew Cuomo’s fiscal year 2014-15 Executive Budget school aid proposal.
Blog
State Budget
Balancing the State Budget – Halfway There, But Running Out of Gas?
December 19, 2011
The Governor should avoid more new taxes as the way to close the rest of the budget gap and instead focus on containing spending growth in Medicaid, pensions, education, and economic development.
Blog
Education
Needed Mandate Relief on the Way?
November 01, 2011
New York State imposes more than 200 special education mandates above and beyond those required by federal law; changes are needed to bring NY in line with other states.
Blog
Health Care
Cause for Concern with the Medicaid Redesign Team Implementation
October 13, 2011
NY is roughly halfway to meeting its budgeted Medicaid savings target of $2.2 billion for fiscal year 2012. A closer look suggests there is cause for concern that some of the savings may not be implemented on time.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Possible City Savings From Health Insurance Changes
June 19, 2011
Following the template provided by Governor Cuomo and the CSEA can produce $1.4 billion in savings for New York City in fiscal year 2012 – more than enough to avert layoffs and other cuts.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
The Case Against Tapping the Health Insurance Premium Stabilization Fund
June 14, 2011
Diverting money from the Health Insurance Premium Stabilization Fund may seem harmless, but it is a fiscal gimmick that only postpones the tough decisions needed to address the underlying causes of the City’s financial predicament.
Blog
Education
What Is Good for Buffalo Is Good for All of New York
May 01, 2011
Governor Andrew Cuomo is considering a proposal from SUNY-Buffalo to give that university greater autonomy. The proposal deserves support and should be extended to all SUNY schools.
Blog
Education
A Closer Look at School Aid Cuts
March 31, 2011
Changes made in the Enacted NYS FY2012 Budget “leveled” out the Governor’s original school aid proposal, which had been targeted so that the percent cut generally increased as the wealth of the district increased.
Blog
Health Care
Medicaid Redesign – Significant Progress On A Tough Task
March 09, 2011
The Medicaid Redesign Team changed the dynamic of Medicaid budgeting by focusing many of the stakeholders on the same goal: controlling spending while improving quality of care. The collaborative process promises to be a useful model as reform efforts continue.
Blog
Education
State School Aid
The Neediest Districts Could Be Spared $750 million in Cuts through Better Targeted Reductions
February 27, 2011
The overall reduction in school aid in the NY State FY2012 Executive Budget is necessary to bring spending to a more sustainable level, but the cuts’ impacts on individual districts should be modified.
Blog
Health Care
One Good Way to Save More on Medicaid
February 21, 2011
One of the Medicaid Redesign Team's proposals – reforming the state’s payment method for nursing homes – should be strengthened to increase savings and improve care.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
School Districts Savings by Following State Practices for Employee Health Insurance
February 01, 2011
Negotiating increases in premium sharing with school employee unions would provide immediate savings and reduce future costs.
Testimony
Health Care
Testimony on Reforming Medicaid
Submitted to the NY State Medicaid Redesign Team
January 28, 2011
Savings can be achieved without denying needed care to low income New Yorkers through three strategies: (1) reducing non‐competitive rates paid to institutional providers; (2) rationalizing utilization of services; (3) tightening eligibility rules and practices to curb the misuse of Medicaid by middle and higher income families for long‐term care.