Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio (R,C,I-Riverhead) is frustrated by the state Department of Health’s (DOH) mishandling of nearly $1 billion in incorrectly-processed Medicaid funds as reported by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Giglio believes the people of New York deserve a more reliable Medicaid system that does not erroneously distribute repayment or coverage funds which slogs the entire system to a standstill.

“Our public health services need to be operating at peak efficiency. They have clearly let us down in that regard,” Giglio said. “Medicaid is one of the largest state expenditures New York has. It needs to be run more efficiently; otherwise we risk further fiscal irresponsibility. It’s clear that now more than ever reforms need to be implemented. We need stronger systems to protect against incorrect claim reimbursement, and we need a more efficient DOH to ensure that funds aren’t going out haphazardly.”

Following the comptroller’s report, the DOH agreed to and is currently cooperating with audits put in place to evaluate these expenditures, which Giglio remarks as a sign that the system isn’t far from saving. “We’ve got good people working in these positions looking to help one another out. We just need to enforce a bit more excellence in these proceedings,” Giglio concluded.