Final Stretch of Budget Negotiations, Minimum Wage Increase Still Undecided, Funding for Senior Housing Builds Momentum, Additional Advocacy Opportunities, City Council Releases State Budget Agenda
Final Stretch of Budget Negotiations – Last Chance for Advocacy!
The General Budget Conference Committee (“The Mothership”) and subcommittees all met Wed. afternoon before legislators left for home. The Mothership met to announce the table targets for each subcommittee. These table targets reflect the revenue available for the budget subcommittees to use to cover the cost of their priorities.
Of most importance to members, the Health budget subcommittee received $25M and the Housing (Environment & Agriculture) budget subcommittee received $20M. These amounts aren’t nearly enough to cover all the priorities of each House.
During the Health subcommittee meeting, co-Chair Senator Hannon reflected that $25M falls far short of the combined Senate and Assembly proposed restorations of $65M. Co-chair Assemblyman Gottfried, noted that Medicaid funding and any coverage of a minimum wage increase is not included in the $25M allocation.
We were very pleased to hear subcommittee members express continued support for an SSI increase as well as additional funding for NORC/NNORC programs – both priorities of LeadingAge New York.
The Joint Budget Subcommittee on Environment, Agriculture, and Housing met only very briefly, stating that many areas remained open, including Division of Housing and Community Renewal funding and that staff would work throughout the weekend to begin crafting a budget agreement.
Legislative leaders hope to have a final budget hammered out over the weekend in time for budget bills to go to print on Mon., for passage by the end of the month.
Minimum Wage Increase Still Undecided
Legislative leaders continue to debate whether the minimum wage should be increased and if there is a need to provide state funding to offset any impacts. Governor Cuomo suggested this week that the state has “NEVER” increased funding to providers when the minimum wage has been increased. LeadingAge NY spent the week reminding legislators and key staff that providers used to get trend factor/inflation adjustments and there was not a Medicaid cap in place.
LeadingAge NY, along with a coalition of healthcare providers, released a message saying that the minimum wage should only be allowed to rise to a level fully matched by immediate funding for the cost impact on providers. Read the message from the coalition.
There appear to be many proposals being discussed that include an exemption for farm workers, a slower phase-in of the increases, as well as a smaller increase in upstate-NY ($13) versus New York City/Long Island ($15).
Please CALL your lawmakers TODAY and tell them that any increase in the minimum wage must be fully funded. Find our campaign here.
Funding for Senior Housing Builds Momentum
LeadingAge NY joined other state-wide housing organizations this week to build support for a multiyear $150M plan for a new affordable housing program for seniors. On Tues., Assemblyman Cymbrowitz, chair of the Aging Committee, highlighted the Assembly’s one-house budget proposal that includes the proposal advanced by LeadingAge NY and our partners. Read the full press release here.
Now is a critical time to build on our efforts. Please CALL your legislators TODAY to ensure this important funding is included in the final budget. Use this link to find our campaign and contact your lawmakers.
Additional Advocacy Opportunities
Here are additional budget items that need your attention today as well. Be sure to CALL your lawmakers to ensure they invest in long-term care infrastructure; provide an increase to SSI and reject the Governor’s carve-out of transportation from MLTC, nursing homes and adult day health care.
Invest in Health Care Infrastructure Program: $1.5B has been awarded for health care infrastructure - A whole ONE PERCENT has gone to long-term care for seniors. CALL your lawmakers TODAY and tell them this is unacceptable. Ask them to specifically dedicate $100 million in capital funding and $10 million in additional operating funding in the 2016-17 State Budget to support the essential infrastructure needs for long-term care services. Share our Infrastructure Flyer with your lawmakers too!
Invest in Adult Care & Assisted Living Services: Let your lawmakers know how important it is to increase the state’s SSI rate for low-income seniors living in adult care facilities and assisted living settings and that $15 per day is needed to bring the rate up to an adequate level. You can advocate on this issue by visiting our SSI Increase Advocacy page and CALLING your lawmakers TODAY.
Transportation Carve-Out: Both houses rejected the Governor’s proposal to carve transportation out of the managed long term care (MLTC) benefit package as well as the adult day health care (ADHC) and nursing home rates. Call your lawmakers today, thank them for their support and remind them that this needs to be in the final enacted budget. Click here to support our campaign and call your lawmakers.
NORC/NNORC modernization and funding: LeadingAge NY joined with several associations asking the Legislature to include statutory updates and funding increases for NORC/NNORCs in the budget, as the Assembly did in their proposal mentioned above. Read the full letter to the legislature here and share it with your lawmakers.
SAVE the DATE: Adult Care Facility (ACF)/Assisted Living (AL) Advocacy Day
Mark your calendars! LeadingAge NY will be hosting an ACF/Assisted Living Advocacy Day on May 10th to encourage support for expanding the role of the nurse in an ACF as well as the need for steering additional resources to ACF/AL providers. Registration is available here. More details, such as meeting times, parking, hotel information, and advocacy materials will be forthcoming.
City Council Releases State Budget Agenda
On Mon., the New York City Council released their state budget agenda for the upcoming fiscal year. Their main priorities include raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, enacting paid family leave, and opposing cuts to Medicaid funding. Also, in the council’s 36-page agenda, they are requesting to expand the NYC Child Care Credit and in that expansion, include households that need care for adult dependents. Find the full agenda here.