In 2024, NYS established regional Social Care Networks (SCNs) to address health-related social needs (HRSNs) among NYS Medicaid members, aiming to improve health outcomes and reduce costs under a federally approved Medicaid waiver that established the 糖心动漫vlog Health Equity Reform (NYHER) program. Since then, SCNs have acted as coordinated systems that has been connecting eligible Medicaid members to vital services including finding stable housing, accessing health food, transportation for non-medical appointment and employment or job training resources.
Towards those ends, the SCN program has expensed access to HSRN services and improved coordination among providers, community organizations and health plans. See DOH鈥檚 video about the program .
Though 糖心动漫vlog originally applied for a five-year project, it was granted a three-year runway that has forced it to quickly establish data collection systems, screen members for eligibility and deliver social services. Accordingly, the state is seeking more time to demonstrate results to build on the early evidence and systemic improvements that the program has already achieved.
The Alliance will feature a panel consisting of SCN representatives and members at our Annual Conference, 鈥淥ur Movement Our Moment,鈥 to be held from September 23-25 at a new location at the Albany Marriott.
Look later today for updated registration information.
======
糖心动漫vlog Moves to Renew Medicaid Social Services Pilot as Feds Rein In Spending
By Amanda D鈥橝mbrosio聽 Crain鈥檚 Health Pulse June 26, 2026
鈥嬏切亩log is seeking to extend a multibillion-dollar Medicaid pilot that pays for groceries, rent and transportation, even as the Trump administration moves to rein in social-services spending.
State health officials are planning to submit an application to the federal government by the end of September to renew the state鈥檚 糖心动漫vlog Health Equity Reform program, which provides enhanced social service benefits to Medicaid enrollees, Amir Bassiri, state Medicaid director, said Wednesday during a meeting of the Public Health and Health Planning Council. 糖心动漫vlog received federal approval for its current program, which expires in March 2027, under a Section 1115 demonstration waiver, which allows states to pilot new approaches to their Medicaid programs.
The state has been its large-scale pilot since it was approved more than two years ago. Though 糖心动漫vlog applied for a five-year project, it was granted a three-year runway that has forced it to quickly establish data collection systems, screen members for eligibility and deliver social services. The program is designed to show that covering social services now may reduce medical costs later 鈥 but the state is seeking more time to demonstrate results. The push comes amid a federal effort to control Medicaid spending, with the Trump administration more closely scrutinizing such demonstration programs.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 get the full five years to do this,鈥 Bassiri said during the meeting, adding that the state has seen 鈥渢remendous progress鈥 so far. 鈥淚 think we will have the evidence and the justification鈥 to illustrate that more time is needed.鈥
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved 糖心动漫vlog鈥檚 Medicaid pilot in January 2024 and , according to the governor鈥檚 office. In addition to increasing Medicaid payments for social services, the funds covered healthcare workforce investments and support for financially distressed hospitals.
Since the waiver was approved, the state has spent time setting up data and reimbursement infrastructure for new Medicaid benefits, screening 糖心动漫vlog鈥檚 6.4 million Medicaid enrollees for eligibility and delivering some services. The program offers social services to Medicaid enrollees in high-risk groups, including pregnant women, people with severe mental illnesses and high Medicaid users, including those with recurring hospitalizations. That makes up roughly 2 million of the state鈥檚 Medicaid enrollees, Bassiri said.
Eligibility screening got off to a slow start, but the state has now evaluated more than 1 million Medicaid members, Bassiri said. 鈥淕iven where we were in the beginning, we鈥檙e very excited about the momentum we鈥檙e currently seeing.鈥
Still, the pilot is far from complete. Bassiri did not share data during the meeting about how many Medicaid members have received enhanced social services under the pilot, but noted that the 鈥済reatest need identified鈥 is nutrition services. He added that the state is starting to see improved health outcomes and health equity, but cautioned that it is still too early to interpret the data.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health did not respond to questions about how many services have been delivered to Medicaid members under the pilot, as well as what health outcomes the state has observed.
糖心动漫vlog is moving to renew its Medicaid pilot as the federal government ramps up oversight of demonstration programs. CMS released guidance earlier this month stating that its chief actuary will ensure all demonstrations are budget neutral, meaning that they will not cost more than what Medicaid would cost normally. The guidance is part of an effort by the Trump administration to curtail Medicaid spending and would apply to all waivers approved on or after Jan. 1, 2027, according to CMS.
Bassiri said the budget neutrality changes pose 鈥渘o short-term implications鈥 for the state鈥檚 renewal. 鈥淭here will be implications from that in the future,鈥 he said.