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TAXPAYERS BEWARE
Thomas F. O'Mara
February 23, 2015
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A mid-January report from the state comptroller’s office found that the state Department of Health (DOH) wrongly paid more than 29,000 pharmacy claims, worth nearly $1 million, for thousands of Medicaid recipients already covered by managed care plans.
And just last week, a second comptroller’s report found that the DOH failed to collect an estimated $120 million in available rebates from prescription drug makers.
These are the findings that drive state taxpayers crazy.
For more than a decade, various reports have highlighted wasteful Medicaid spending. Time and again, New York’s system has been characterized as one of the nation's most expensive and wasteful, continually plagued by rip-offs and scams.
Ten years ago, Medicaid spending was roughly $42 billion annually. Now, the cost is about to increase to $60 a year.
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Go to Newsroom![“I’m grateful to the League of Women Voters for providing Kennedy, James, and all of their fellow students with this unique opportunity to participate in New York State government,” said Senator O’Mara. “I enjoyed the time we spent together at the Capitol and it’s clear that they have incredibly bright and promising futures. They deserve to be a great source of pride to their families and school communities." “I’m grateful to the League of Women Voters for providing Kennedy, James, and all of their fellow students with this unique opportunity to participate in New York State government,” said O’Mara. “I enjoyed the time we spent together at the Capitol and it’s clear that they have incredibly bright and promising futures. They deserve to be a great source of pride to their families and school communities.](/sites/default/files/styles/760x377/public/article/main-image/studentsinsidealbany3.jpg?itok=IcZ1V3nG)
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