Albany Lawmakers Passes Big Health Cuts in Health Care

ALBANY — State lawmakers approved $775 million in cuts and other savings from New York's health care budget on Monday after Gov. David A. Paterson inserted the reductions into emergency spending legislation submitted to the Legislature to keep the state government from shutting down. The cuts will affect hospitals, nursing homes and a lengthy list of other health-related programs, and marked the first significant step in weeks toward an agreement on the state's annual budget, now more than two months overdue. The legislation also requires the state to save an additional $300 million a year by cracking down on Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse.