Assemblyman David DiPietro (R,C-East Aurora) is renewing his call to reform the state Medicaid system following a report from State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli exposing millions of dollars in fraud. DiPietro sponsors a number of bills focusing on reforming Medicaid at the state level.

“It’s no secret that our state social safety net has expanded into a hammock,” DiPietro said. “Medicaid is riddled with fraud, and our conference has the solutions necessary to repair it. Running Medicaid on the honor system has led to a bloated government and a bloated budget. The people of our state want this money to be used to get people back on their feet and help them through a difficult medical experience. It is essential we work toward this goal for the health of our state.”

DiPietro is the lead sponsor of Assembly Bill 3663, which would institute a one-year residency requirement for eligibility for Medicaid. He is also a sponsor of Assembly Bill 5289, which would require the state to reimburse 100 percent of the non-federal share of services as is already required by state law. Both bills have been referred to the Assembly Committee on Health. Another bill, Assembly 5201, of which DiPietro is a sponsor, has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Social Services. The legislation prohibits any unfunded mandate from being levied to local governments through the Medicaid program.