New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is sending a delegation Monday for the second time to Puerto Rico to assist in reforming the commonwealth's healthcare system.
"New Yorkers help out when others are in need," Gov. Cuomo said in a statement. "The healthcare challenges that Puerto Rico is facing are not unlike those that we addressed successfully here in New York. I believe that together we can help the Puerto Rican government reform its healthcare system, save taxpayer dollars and ultimately improve the lives of millions of people — and we are proud to be helping out."
The following officials will be in Puerto Rico from Oct. 12-14.
- Kathy Hochul, lieutenant governor
- Cesar Perales, secretary of state, New York
- Howard Zucker, MD, state health commissioner
- Jason Helgerson, New York state Medicaid director
- Marco Crespo, assembly member
- Richard Gottfried, assembly member
- Elisabeth Wynn, senior vice president of health economics and finance, Greater New York Hospital Association
- Terry Bischoff, Puerto Rico Health Care Crisis Coalition
The delegation will provide Puerto Rican officials with information on how to develop a Medicaid Management Information System, use data mining to find ways to lower costs and improve health and negotiate a Medicaid Waiver with the federal government.
New York's own Medicaid redesign project was so successful it was rewarded with an $8 billion Medicaid waiver. This kind of funding would be a boon for Puerto Rico, which has been relying on a $6.4 billion block grant to support its Medicaid program — a grant that is expected to run out by 2017.
The commonwealth's Medicaid matching funds are capped at $400 million each year, though participation is high. Almost 68 percent of its population relies on Medicare, Medicare Advantage or Medicaid, especially because its residents are not eligible for subsidies on the federal exchange.
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