HomeMy WebLinkAboutI - 13 Cortland County eFMAP Resolution 2023ON MOTION OF SANDRA PRICE RESOLUTION NO. 33-23
Calling on the State of New York to Continue to Pass-Thru Federal Affordable Care Act Enhanced
Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage Funds
WHEREAS, the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2024 State Budget proposal would end the Affordable
Care Act (ACA) enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (eFMAP) federal pass-thru to counties
and New York City, AND
WHEREAS, the State is proposing to keep all of these federal savings going forward and use
them to cover further expansions of Medicaid eligibility and benefits and to increase payments to health
care providers, AND
WHEREAS, the elimination of this ACA eFMAP federal pass-thru will require the 57 counties to
spend at least $280 million more in SFY 2024, and approximately $1 billion when New York City is
included, AND
WHEREAS, the SFY 2024 costs to counties and New York City are scheduled to grow by 30
percent by SFY 2027, AND
WHEREAS, it is the strong view of Cortland County that congress intended these federal savings
to be shared with counties proportional to the amount they contributed toward the nonfederal Medicaid
match, AND
WHEREAS, since 2003, the state has shared the funds proportionally based on our analysis of
savings we have received during periods when an enhanced federal Medicaid match was enacted by
Congress, AND
WHEREAS, enacted in 2011, the Medicaid statutory cap for all 62 counties is $7.6 billion. The
Medicaid statutory cap for the 57 counties outside of New York City is $2.25 billion, AND
WHEREAS, the additional unbudgeted cost to Cortland County for the remainder of 2023 would
amount to over $700,000, AND
WHEREAS, starting in SFY 2014, New York began sharing these federal ACA savings directly
with counties. The savings for a year were provided by lowering the weekly payments each county and
NYC make to the state to support the State’s Medicaid program. Through February 1, 2023, the state
continues to share the federal savings from the ACA eFMAP with the 57 counties and NYC, AND
WHEREAS, New York State is behind in reconciliation and distribution of funds owed to
Cortland County in the approximate amount of $1,970,729.97 through 2020, AND
WHEREAS, Cortland County strongly disagrees with the need to cut county funding so deeply
when the Governor’s budget proposes to fully fund its own reserves two years ahead of schedule by
depositing $5.4 billion into reserves before the end of SFY 2023, while also projecting a general fund
surplus of $35 billion by the end of SFY 2024, NOW THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, that Cortland County calls for the State to reconcile the account and pay Cortland
County the $1,970,729.97 that is owed through 2020, and reconcile and pay the amounts owed through
2022, AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that Cortland County calls on the State to continue to share these federal funds with
counties as has been the precedent for over 20 years, AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the Cortland County Legislature shall forward copies of this
resolution to the Governor of the State of New York, the New York State Legislature, the New York State
Congressional Delegation, and all others deemed necessary and proper.
STATE OF NEW YORK ) SS:
COUNTY OF CORTLAND )
This is to certify that I, the undersigned, Clerk of the Cortland County Legislature, have compared the foregoing copy
with the original now on file in this office, and that the above actions were passed by the Cortland County Legislature on the 23rd
day of February, 2023and that the same is a correct and true transcript of such actions taken.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand
and the official seal of the CORTLAND COUNTY
LEGISLATURE, this 23rd day of February, 2023.
Clerk of the Cortland County Legislature
The New York County Executives’ Association is an affiliate of the New York State Association of Counties.
1
February 6, 2023
The Honorable Kathy C. Hochul
Governor of New York State
NYS Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
VIA: Electronic Mail
Dear Governor Hochul:
On behalf of Cortland County, I am writing to oppose your Executive Budget proposal to stop sharing the
Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Program (eFMAP) with counties. This proposal
would end the 20-year precedent of sharing federal Medicaid savings shared with local governments that
contribute to the Medicaid program.
The elimination of this ACA eFMAP federal pass-through is worth $1.3 million for the property taxpayers of
Cortland County in the upcoming State Fiscal Year. As a former county official, you can appreciate that this new
cost shift by the state will eventually come out of our residents’ pockets in the form increased taxes or cuts to
services.
Cortland County has worked hard to battle the COVID-19 and opioid pandemics, and we continue to deliver, and
partially fund, countless human services to the New Yorkers in need in our community.
We share your goal to make New York and our communities more affordable, but this proposal will force these
costs on to local taxpayers, and that will make that goal more difficult to achieve.
We urge you to reconsider this administrative cost-shift to our property taxpayers and renters, and we encourage
you to reverse your proposal.
Respectfully,
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