A great bipartisan idea that will somehow not happen in NYS.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

Grisanti urges biometric scans for Medicaid


The short of it is they want to use a fingerprint with Medicaid to prevent fraud. Estimates project that the cost to implement is about $20 Million and could save $5 Billion.

The idea was first proposed by Democratic Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera. The idea is now being sponsored by Republican Senator Mark Grisanti. Thats both sides and parties folks.

Here is the good stuff:

The biometric system, which includes card readers, would cost about $20 million to install in health facilities across the state but could save $5 billion in a Medicaid program that costs more than $50 billion annually, according to figures in the proposed legislation and a statement issued by Rivera's office in 2011.


Critics say biometric programs are costly to implement and reduce costs mainly by discouraging eligible beneficiaries from obtaining benefits rather than by preventing fraud.

This translated is people who are wanted for warrants would be opposed to the system because the fingerprint tracking would be much faster than traditional methods. Essentially, under the current system there is no way for a hospital to alert the police if a someone on a warrant comes in. At least in an amount of time that would allow the police to show up while the person was there.

Under the new system, it would be possible (not included but the technology exists) for the police to track this and be alerted real time.

Meaning the criminal wanted on a warrant would be discouraged from getting medical care because they did not want to be arrested for their warrant.

[SafeWNY]

Critics are complaining that it will (a) discourage people from obtaining benefits and (b) fraud is less than 10%.

I don't see a bad thing with making it more difficult to obtain benefits. I also think that any savings over and above the initial cost of implementation would be just that - a savings. Even the richest people in the world started off by saving a penny.

[WNYresident]

Critics are complaining that it will (a) discourage people from obtaining benefits and (b) fraud is less than 10%.

I don't see a bad thing with making it more difficult to obtain benefits. I also think that any savings over and above the initial cost of implementation would be just that - a savings. Even the richest people in the world started off by saving a penny.

They could easily elect to go fill out an application for work if they don't want to give a finger print. Nothing is stopping them.

[granpabob]

So this makes Doctors and nurses cops. Don't they have enough worries now why not put finger prints on credit cards so store cashiers can do the cops jobs too

[SafeWNY]

Res, You read my mind.

[SafeWNY]

So this makes Doctors and nurses cops. Don't they have enough worries now why not put finger prints on credit cards so store cashiers
can do the cops jobs too

Not necessarily. It's a two way street. Plus, there is already mandatory reporting in place, so if the systems they put in place won't notify LE automatically, it would more than likely be added on as part of that. It wouldn't be the doc or RN to make the call - it would be some desk jockey who was processing the paperwork.

[Colonel Sun]

This translated is people who are wanted for warrants would be opposed to the system because the fingerprint tracking would be much faster than traditional methods. Essentially, under the current system there is no way for a hospital to alert the police if a someone on a warrant comes in. At least in an amount of time that would allow the police to show up while the person was there.

Under the new system, it would be possible (not included but the technology exists) for the police to track this and be alerted real time.

Meaning the criminal wanted on a warrant would be discouraged from getting medical care because they did not want to be arrested for their warrant.[/QUOTE]

I disagree. I don't believe the Medicaid system will be linked to any law enforcement database. It isn't done now. Why would you believe it would be done under this new system? Unlikely, in my opinion.

This fingerprint system is one of several proposed systems to prevent one Medicaid user from "piggybacking" on someone else's benifits. There is a competing system that uses ID cards run by a company called "Castle Stone" in Illinois. The Castle Stone people met with individuals from the Poloncarz Administration, and staff from the Comptroller's Office in an attempt to sell the County on their version of this technology.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

I disagree. I don't believe the Medicaid system will be linked to any law enforcement database. It isn't done now. Why would you believe it would be done under this new system? Unlikely, in my opinion.

It's called data mining and it's going to happen.

[Frank Broughton]

The idea was first proposed by Democratic Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera. The idea is now being sponsored by Republican Senator Mark Grisanti. Thats both sides and parties folks.

Hardly, that is still one side.... Rino, Democrat, same thing...