Your advocacy is needed! The Governor has released her Executive Budget proposal which includes an allocation of $50 million to support an increase in the Medicaid physician fee schedule, bringing Medicaid reimbursement closer to the Medicare level.

It is crucial the Governor and the legislature hear directly from New York’s physicians conveying the need for this allocation to address the crisis of wait times, boarding of patients and staffing in Emergency Departments across the State.

New York State has a significant Medicaid reimbursement rate deficit for emergency physicians relative to Medicare and reimbursement in other surrounding states. The State needs to provide significant financial resources to address this crisis.

Please take action by using the link below to send a letter to the Governor, your Senator and Assemblymember. We encourage you to personalize your message on why this is important to you!

To sign and send the message below, click here

Subject: Please Address The Healthcare Emergency In New York State And Increase Medicaid Reimbursement

As a constituent and emergency physician, I am writing to urge you to include a significant portion of the proposed appropriation of $50 million from the Managed Care Organization (MCO) Tax to support an increase in the Medicaid physician fee schedule to increase Medicaid reimbursement for emergency services delivered under Medicaid by physicians.

The issue of waiting times, boarding of patients and staffing in emergency departments across the State today equates to a healthcare emergency. The State needs to provide significant financial resources to address this crisis. Emergency medicine physicians are required by the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA) to evaluate and treat every patient who enters their door, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. I ask that you provide the financial resources necessary so that physicians and other health care providers who work in the State’s hospital emergency departments meet the goals of EMTALA in a timely manner following the lead of other States such as California.

California used over $100 million of the proceeds of the MCO Provider Tax program to support an increase in Emergency Physician rates for Fee for Service and Med-Cal managed care plans. This positive first step increased rates for Emergency Department physicians to no less than 87.5% of the Medicare rate for fee for service and managed care plans in California.

I urge New York to address the crisis in New York’s emergency departments by taking this step to increase Medicaid reimbursement for emergency services to close the Medicaid gap.