Borrello, rest of Senate GOP vote against record NY budget after Medicaid controls rejected

Today, every New York State Senate Democrat voted against a commonsense cost-saving proposal that would root out fraud and abuse in New York’s out-of-control Medicaid program, in addition to other government spending programs, that continue to cost taxpayers billions of dollars.  

The amendment S.8661, sponsored by Senator Republican Leader Rob Ortt, offered on the floor by Senator George Borrello, would have increased transparency and accountability in New York’s Medicaid program by: 

> requiring an independent audit of state spending programs, including Medicaid, and referring any fraud, waste or abuse to relevant law enforcement agencies; and

> conducting a comprehensive reverification of the state’s Medicaid rolls. 

“Medicaid spending has increased by a staggering 89 percent between 2019 and 2026. That is not inflation, and it is not population growth. Taxpayers are funding healthcare for illegals, and paying for waste, fraud, and abuse that is ripe within this system. In fact, this near-doubling of the state’s Medicaid bill under the Senate Democrat Majority has occurred at a time when enrollment, and our population, has been declining, so realistically these costs should be going down,” stated Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt.

“Medicaid spending in this state has nearly doubled in seven years, and we already know waste, fraud and abuse are part of the reason. The red flags have been visible for years to anyone paying attention. So, when Democrats refuse, twice, to allow a simple independent audit, you have to ask: what exactly are they hiding? New York taxpayers deserve better than a ruling party that protects a broken system rather than the people paying for it,” said Borrello.

The New York State budget includes hundreds of millions in new funding to provide Medicaid healthcare services to illegal immigrants. At a time when millions of hardworking New York citizens are struggling to make ends meet.

Overall, New York spends $122.6 billion on Medicaid. Since 2019, when Democrats gained total control over state government, the state-share of Medicaid spending has now grown by $20.7 billion. 

Earlier this year, the Senate Republican Conference called on Gov. Hochul to commence a comprehensive, independent audit of the state’s spending programs following alarming reports of rampant fraud in Minnesota, and Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt introduced legislation (S.8661) to require one. 

Despite alarming reports of widespread fraud, waste and abuse in New York’s costly Medicaid program, every single Senate Democrat unanimously voted “no” when given the opportunity to provide accountability, increase transparency, and protect taxpayer dollars.