The Governor has Introduced the 2016 Budget!
Nurse Staff Ratios Bill Advancing in Assembly
The Assembly Health Committee will consider legislation, A.8580 (Gunther), next week that would impose nurse staffing ratios in hospitals and nursing homes. LeadingAge New York is opposed to this short-sited, unfunded mandate. Please make sure that your legislators hear from you about this bill. You can contact them by texting RATIOS to 52886 or by visiting our website.
2016 Budget Preview
This week, Governor Cuomo presented his 2016-17 budget priorities, offering little support for seniors and aging services providers and instead, proposing reductions and changes that will prove potentially harmful, including, increasing the minimum wage to $15 and attempting to once again carve-out transportation from MLTC and ADHC. LeadingAge New York’s legislative and legal counsel, Hinman Straub, has provided us with an overview of all the health care and senior housing initiatives in this year’s budget. Early next week, we will provide you with a deeper analysis of the aging services components in the governor’s proposal that will most likely impact your organization.
We are particularly concerned that the governor’s minimum wage proposal does not address the fiscal impact it will have on non-profit aging services providers. We urge you to send an email or post a message on social media to the governor and your legislative representatives to let them know that they cannot increase the minimum wage without providing additional Medicaid funding. Access our advocacy tools by texting MINIMUM WAGE to 52886 or by visiting our website.
We are also disappointed that the governor’s budget does not include our budget priorities related to funding for senior housing and support services and an increase to SSI rates for adult care facilities. We urge you to send an email or post a message on social media to the governor and your legislative representatives and ask them to support these important initiatives. It is critical that your representatives are well-informed on issues important to you as they begin developing their priorities for the budget. Action is one text away!
Text SSI INCREASE to 52886
Text HOUSING to 52886
Upcoming Budget Hearings
The schedule has been released for the joint legislative budget hearings and LeadingAge NY will be testifying at the Health/Medicaid hearing on Jan. 25th. We will also be providing testimony for the Housing budget hearing scheduled for Feb. 1st.
Are You Registered for Advocacy Day?
Help us spread our message about our budget concerns. We cannot be successful without your participation. We hope that you will help ensure that long term care is properly represented in this year's budget by participating in the LeadingAge New York/Adult Day Health Care Council/Hospice and Palliative Care Association of New York State Annual Advocacy Day on Tues., Feb. 9 in Albany.
Click here to register and then call your lawmakers to schedule a meeting with them. If they are not available that day, ask to meet with their top aid or if you can meet them “Off the Floor” of the legislative chamber. The day will begin with registration and breakfast at 8 a.m. and a luncheon with guest legislative speakers between noon and 1 p.m. (please avoid scheduling legislative meetings during this time). Advocacy Day materials, including issue briefs, talking points and parking information will be sent via email to participants the week before Advocacy Day. We will also host a conference call on Thursday, Feb. 4 to brief those attending the Advocacy Day, details to be announced shortly. If you need assistance with scheduling legislative meetings, have difficulty with registration or need specific accommodations, please do not hesitate to contact Dylan Wrixon at 518-867-8844.