New York State has a childhood obesity crisis. The New York State Department of Health estimates that one in four New Yorkers under the age of 18, or approximately 1.1 million young people, is obese.

In State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2009-10, All Funds spending for New York State amounted to $126.9 billion. Of this amount, approximately $38.4 billion or 30.2 percent was spent on Medicaid.

Obesity rates in New York State and the nation have jumped sharply in recent decades. Childhood obesity, in particular, has become much more common – nearly tripling nationwide since 1980.

Asthma is a major public health problem in New York State and nationally.

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Medicaid provides health insurance coverage to more than 6 million New Yorkers and is projected to cost a total of $62 billion from federal, State and local sources in State Fiscal Year 2016.

New York’s Medicaid program is undergoing major changes, with ambitious plans for further modifications just ahead. The State’s efforts to slow spending growth are showing measurable progress, with average beneficiary costs declining while enrollment continues to grow.

The State Health Innovation Plan, New York’s roadmap for achieving the “Triple Aim” of better care, better population health and lower health care costs, describes the prevalence of diabetes as “arguably our biggest looming health challenge.”

It seems that every community in New York State is experiencing the heartbreak of lives lost to prescription opioid abuse and heroin addiction.

Every day, New York City’s eight million residents face a mix of urban noise—street traffic, construction, emergency vehicles, buses, subways and air traffic are just a few examples—which, at best, poses an annoyance and, at worst, impacts quality of life.

The New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP), administered by the State Department of Civil Service (Civil Service), is one of the nation’s largest public sector health insurance programs. NYSHIP covers over 1.2 million active and retired State, local government and school district employees, and their dependents.