Legislative Bulletin: Budget Summary and Important Advocacy Updates
LeadingAge NY Budget Analysis and Advocacy Opportunities
Executive Budget Summary: LeadingAge NY released its Executive Budget Summary, earlier this week, after fully reviewing the Governor’s 2015-16 budget proposal. The detailed summary of the provisions pertinent to aging services providers include significant proposals, such as large cuts to assisted living providers; $1.4 billion in additional capital investments for health care providers; implementation of value-based payments; an MLTC transportation carve-out; advanced home health aide authorization; and $25 million to improve senior housing.
Remember, we represent you. If there are particular proposals in the Executive Budget that are of concern to you, let us know. We are actively working on our testimony and our advocacy documents and always welcome your input. Please contact Alyssa Lovelace or Ami Schnauber with your thoughts.
Advocacy Day: Now that the Executive Budget proposal has been released, we must begin engaging with lawmakers to ensure that seniors and aging services providers are fairly represented. We strongly encourage you to join us for our Advocacy Day scheduled for Tues., Feb. 10 in Albany. You can register for Advocacy Day here. Materials, such as issue briefs; talking points; and meetings schedules will soon be posted to the Advocacy Day website.
Budget Review/Advocacy Day Prep Conference Call: LeadingAge NY will host a conference call for members and Advocacy Day participants on Fri., Feb. 6 from 10:30 a.m. – noon to discuss the budget, answer questions and prepare for our advocacy efforts. The call-in information is: 866-380-9615; guest access code: 548776# - registration is not required.
Joint Budget Hearings: LeadingAge NY will continue advocacy efforts next week, as the Legislature holds hearings to solicit input on the budget from stakeholders. LeadingAge NY will testify at the Health and Medicaid Hearing on Mon., Feb. 2, and on Thurs., Feb. 5 at the Housing Hearing. You can watch the hearings here.
For questions or concerns about the Executive Budget proposal, LeadingAge NY’s budget summary or Advocacy Day, please feel free to contact any of your Advocacy & Public Policy staff at 518-867-8383.
E-prescribing Legislation Introduced
Sen. Hannon, chairman of the Senate Health Committee, introduced legislation (S.2486) earlier this week, which would extend the implementation date of the e-prescribing mandate to March 27, 2016. LeadingAge NY, along with a number of other associations, sent a letter to Acting Health Commissioner Howard Zucker, requesting a one year delay in implementation of the e-prescribing mandate that was enacted into law as part of I-STOP legislation. The bill already has 27 co-sponsors and is on the Senate Health Committee agenda for Tues., Feb. 3. It is expected that Assemblyman John McDonald will sponsor the legislation in the Assembly. In the meantime, we urge nursing home and assisted living providers to contact their lawmakers, urging them to support this important delay to the e-prescribing mandate, allowing providers to fully prepare their electronic systems and ensure patients have uninterrupted access to crucial medications.
Shelly Silver to Resign as Speaker on Monday, Senate Leadership Under Investigation
After days of conferencing, the Assembly Democratic Conference informed current Speaker, Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, that they no longer had confidence in his leadership and he needed to resign or would be voted out of his position by Mon., Feb 4. Asm. Majority Leader Joe Morelle will serve as Acting Speaker until a vote is cast to determine the new Speaker on Mon., Feb. 10.
The front runner, at this moment, appears to be Asm. Carl Heastie, who represents the 83rd Assembly District in the Bronx, holding that office since 2000. He is also the chairman of the Bronx Democratic Party. Asm. Cathy Nolan of Queens remains the only Assembly member up against Asm. Heastie after Asm. Morelle of Rochester, Asm. Joe Lentol of Brooklyn and Asm. Keith Wright withdrew their names from the race. Read more about the race for Speaker, here. Asm. Heastie has indicated that he will keep Asm. Morelle as Majority Leader, should he win election as Speaker.
In other news, it was reported late last night that Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos is now under investigation by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. Bharara is looking into Sen. Skelos’ ties to the real estate industry. Bharara is most recently responsible for Asm. Silver’s corruption charges. We will keep members updated as we learn more about the speakership, and Sen. Skelos. You may recall, U.S. Attorney Bharara suggesting that we “stay tuned” for more.