Suffolk sues over cuts in state health aid

Suffolk has filed a lawsuit to reverse $20 million in cutbacks in state health aid that will cut services to 12,000 adults with chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes who use county health centers.

County Executive Steve Levy disclosed the suit, filed in State Supreme Court in Albany on Dec. 28, when he proposed a legislative resolution Tuesday to create a local working group to deal with the cuts if the lawsuit or lobbying Albany officials is unsuccessful.

Levy said the cuts are particularly onerous because the state wants to "claw back" aid amounting to about $5 million annually paid to the county since 2008.

"This may not sound like a sexy issue," said Levy. "It's a horrific decision."

The impact of the aid cuts, Levy and aides said, could include a shutdown of one or more health centers, restrict health-center hours or end services to a significant portion of adult patients.

Levy aides say state health officials last fall imposed a new interpretation of regulations that had been in place for 40 years. But the loss was not felt until the state cut 50 percent from its $4.2-million aid check on Dec. 22.

However, Jeffrey Hammond, state health department spokesman in Albany said Tuesday that, "The department does not believe Suffolk County is entitled to the funds they are seeking."

The regulatory change cuts about $3.2 million from annual health center funding for adults with chronic care needs. The new interpretation also affects about $400,000 annually for training more than 3,500 local emergency medical technicians and other emergency workers along with $1.2 million in annual aid for medical examiners to do a range of toxicology tests.

Levy aides say the interpretation does not impact other counties as deeply as Suffolk because local officials in the 1970s built a network of health center rather than a county hospital to serve the poor.

Suffolk operates eight health centers and two satellite centers on the South Fork, at a cost of $68 million a year. More than 60,000 patients make 305,000 visits annually, officials said. "Our average adult patient makes three visits a year," said Health Commissioner James L. Tomarken, "That's 36,000 visits that we won't be compensated for."

Levy said he will seek an emergency vote on his resolution for a working group at the legislature's first regular meeting Feb. 1, but he may call an informal meeting sooner. The resolution calls for the group's recommendation by April 1. The state must respond to the Suffolk lawsuit by March 6.

Presiding Officer William Lindsay (D-Holbrook) said he would participate in the working group but does not know where the county will get the money. "What makes it difficult, they are going back years to cut funds we have already spent. I haven't got a clue where we will make it up."