December 16, 2020

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
New York State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224

Regarding: Medicaid Managed Care Pharmacy Benefit Carve-Out to Fee for Service 

Dear Andrew M. Cuomo, 

Equality New York is joining dozens of New York State organizations through Save New York’s Safety Net Coalition to request your urgent action to reverse the April 1, 2021 Medicaid pharmacy benefit carve-out from managed into a fee-for-service model. We also ask you to end the state’s 20% freeze on funding for health and human services that is devastating providers across the state. 

Equality New York (EQNY) is an advocacy organization that unites and amplifies the social and political voices of the LGBTQI communities throughout New York State. We work to advance equality and justice for LGBTQI New Yorkers and their families.

As you know, the Medicaid drug carve out will be a huge cutback for organizations and hospitals who serve those with low income and living with HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS has historically, and still to this day, disproportionately affected the LGBTQI community; a community for which you have been a champion during your tenure in New York State office. More recently, research has shown that Transgender women–more specifically, those who are Black and People of Color (POC)–have been accessing services for HIV/AIDS through many of those progams that will lose millions of dollars being essentially crippled through the proposed changes. 

Taking a closer look, tens of millions in 340B savings will be stripped from the trusted HIV providers who have closely collaborated with you and the State. In the midst of a pandemic, it must be seen as thoroughly unreasonable to take away life saving services and surely will be delaying the advancement and process made through End the AIDS Epidemic (ETE), one of your highly successful health equity initiatives. 

Again, we ask that you reverse the April 1, 2021 Medicaid pharmacy benefit carve-out from managed care and into fee-for-service. 

Sincerely, 

Equality New York