FIDA Now Open in Suffolk and Westchester Counties

It is with great enthusiasm that the NYS Department of Health announces the expansion of the Fully Integrated Duals Advantage (FIDA) Demonstration to Suffolk and Westchester Counties. Eligible individuals may now enroll through NY Medicaid Choice.

The FIDA Demonstration, which was originally approved to run January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2017, was recently extended through December 2019. The NYSDOH and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are committed to delivering maximum integration of care to dual eligibles to help ensure that all medically necessary services are provided, care in the community is promoted, and avoidable hospitalizations and nursing facility stays are reduced.

FIDA integrates Medicare and Medicaid benefits in a comprehensive way not previously available in New York State. While we are approaching the end of the second demonstration year, we are just beginning to understand the impact of FIDA, particularly following the updates made this past winter. We have received many success stories of how FIDA has improved the lives of its participants, however, preliminary data from the independent evaluation is likely to take six more months to complete. The two-year extension allows us the additional time needed to assess the positive impact of FIDA on the quality and cost of care to the residents of New York State.