Assemblyman Joseph M. Giglio (R,C,I-Gowanda) yesterday sponsored an amendment to the Health and Mental Hygiene Article VII budget legislation that would have, if adopted, phased out the entire local county share of Medicaid over a five-year period. The complete elimination of the local share of Medicaid would provide direct mandate relief to county governments, and it also would provide direct property tax relief for homeowners.

“Legislators from all sides of the political spectrum, as well as the governor, have been talking for many years about mandate relief for our local governments, and now was the time to put our money where our mouth is,” said Assemblyman Giglio. “The Legislature had the opportunity to put language in the budget that would provide the largest and most necessary piece of mandate relief for counties that we’ve ever seen – and that would be to eliminate the local share of Medicaid currently paid by property taxpayers.”

New York State requires county governments to pay approximately 25% of the cost of providing Medicaid services. The state does not, however, allow counties to have any say in the operation of the program, as those policy decisions are left to Albany and Washington.

The Giglio-sponsored amendment, which was defeated by a largely party-line vote, is also a stand-alone piece of legislation sponsored by a majority member of the New York State Assembly. Assembly Bill A3206, sponsored by Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes of Buffalo, proposes to eliminate the county Medicaid costs by reducing the county share 20% over a five-year period beginning in the year 2019.

“Medicaid costs have increased greatly over the years through absolutely no fault of the county governments,” continued Giglio. “Real property taxpayers across the state pay approximately $8 billion in property taxes to fund the Medicaid program, on top of what they already pay in federal and state income taxes. The Legislature was assured that mandate relief would be delivered after the implementation of the 2% property tax cap, and so far, that promise has not been kept. I’m afraid that counties will be forced to reduce services elsewhere to make up for the continually increasing costs of the Medicaid program.”

In addition to sponsoring this amendment to state budget legislation, Assemblyman Giglio also sponsors two pieces of legislation that would change the method by which the Medicaid program is administered. Assembly Bill A5201 would prohibit any unfunded mandates in Medicaid, and Assembly Bill A5289 would require that any Medicaid service not required by the federal government be paid for totally by the state.