Greetings from Albany, NY  

In this edition, we provide updates on a Senate Democratic leadership change, the new Medicaid Revalidation and Enrollment changes, the Department of Justice Olmstead guidance, and other important topics.  

New Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC) Chair 

Senator Shelley Mayer, a Democrat representing parts of Westchester County (D-37), has been named the new chair of the DSCC, effective today, Aug. 7.

She takes over the role from Senator Michael Gianaris, who has chaired the fundraising committee for more than a decade. Today marks Gianaris’s final day serving in the New York State Senate, though he will remain in an advisory role with the DSCC to help ensure a smooth transition. No announcement has been made yet about who will succeed him as Senate Deputy Majority Leader.

Mayer, who was elected to the State Senate in 2018, has chaired the Senate Education Committee since 2019. She also chairs the Ethics and Internal Governance Committee and serves on the Senate Elections, Finance, Judiciary, Labor, and Rules Committees. She previously served in the NYS Assembly from 2013 to 2017.

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins praised Mayer’s appointment, saying, “Shelley is an exceptional leader, a proven fighter for the people, and someone who understands what it takes to win campaigns.”

Throughout her time in the Senate, Mayer has focused on expanding access to universal pre-kindergarten and affordable child care, strengthening public education, protecting reproductive rights, supporting immigrant communities, and advancing policies that benefit working families. Her legislative priorities have also included increasing school funding, expanding voter access, improving health care reimbursement rates, and strengthening maternal health care services.

Medicaid Providers Face New Revalidation Requirements and Temporary Enrollment Moratorium 

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has announced significant changes to the Medicaid provider revalidation process and the launch of a new Provider Services Portal to streamline enrollment and compliance procedures.

Earlier this week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved New York’s plan to complete a statewide Medicaid provider revalidation process over the next two years. All Medicaid providers must now be revalidated more frequently, moving from the previous five-year cycle to a cycle based on provider risk levels, with all providers reviewed within two years.

NYSDOH has replaced the previous paper-based enrollment and revalidation process with a centralized online system to simplify enrollment and revalidation submissions, reduce administrative errors, and enhance oversight and data accuracy. Most Medicaid-enrolled providers will not experience major changes beyond using the new technology platform.

As part of this initiative, CMS has also encouraged states to immediately implement a temporary moratorium on enrollment and change-of-ownership applications for “high-risk” provider classes. This moratorium will not impact currently enrolled providers, providers enrolling in any other provider class outside of the six categories explicitly identified, or access to care.

The moratorium applies to:

• Laboratories
• Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS)
• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) providers
• Licensed Home Care Services Agencies (LHCSAs)
• Pharmacies
• Managed Long-Term Care Plans, including MLTC Partial Capitation Plans, Medicaid Advantage Plus (MAP), and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)

Effective immediately, during the six-month moratorium period, all pending applications will be discontinued. This includes applications just submitted, those under active review, and those awaiting final determination. No applications will be processed or advanced during the moratorium period. Following the moratorium, applicants may resubmit or submit their application.

On Thursday, NYSDOH held a webinar to provide an overview of these changes and answer questions. Over 500 questions were submitted during the 1-hour webinar. These questions, along with technical assistance opportunities, will be posted on the dedicated Medicaid Provider Revalidation informational webpage.

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