Brett Friedman Delivers Two Presentations on New York State’s Medicaid Waiver Program

Health care partner Brett Friedman delivered two presentations on New York State’s 1115 Medicaid Waiver program.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently approved an amendment to New York’s Medicaid 1115 Waiver, allowing the state to make large investments of approximately $7.5 billion in funding over the next three years across a series of Medicaid initiatives that expand access to primary and behavior health, address health-related social needs to reduce disparities and promote health equity, and strengthen the health care workforce. This amendment presents opportunities for innovative health companies to provide solutions, and for hospitals and other health organizations to build population health management infrastructure.

At the “Beyond the Bottom Line—Discussing Total Cost of Care in New York’s Healthcare Landscape” program on May 2, Brett joined a panel that explored the implications of the new States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development Model (AHEAD) on New York State Medicaid’s global budget. Brett and the panelists examined how AHEAD’s total cost of care approach intersects with New York State’s Medicaid goals and initiatives, including the Global Capitation model and other payment reforms.

At a program hosted by the New York State Bar Association Public Health Law Committee and the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Brett presented May 7 on a panel titled “Integrating Care: Addressing Social Needs Through the Transformative New York Health Equity 1115 Medicaid Waiver.” The panelists discussed the legal framework of the waiver, its implications for healthcare delivery, and the integration of social determinants of health into Medicaid programming, marking a historic shift in healthcare delivery and policy.