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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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![Senator O'Mara, joined by his wife Marilyn, was sworn in this week to begin a new term representing New York's 58th Senate District. Senator O'Mara, joined by his wife Marilyn, was sworn in this week to begin a new term representing New York's 58th Senate District.](/sites/default/files/styles/760x377/public/article/main-image/oathofoffice-2023.jpg?itok=x-68Tvtc)
![Senator O'Mara will continue to serve as the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, a post he has held since 2021. Senator O'Mara will continue to serve as the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, a post he has held since 2021.](/sites/default/files/styles/760x377/public/article/main-image/session-candid_2.jpeg?itok=WIIBZR3c)