LeadingAge NY, ADHCC Urge DOH to Invest in LTPAC Transformation
In an Aug. 17th letter, LeadingAge New York and the Adult Day Health Care Council (ADHCC) urged the Department of Health (DOH) to utilize the next round of capital grants under the Health Care Facility Transformation Program (HCFTP) to invest in Long-Term and Post-Acute Care (LTPAC) services. A grant solicitation for the approximately $200 million of funding available under this round of the program is expected later this year.
Our comments emphasized the need for significant investments in LTPAC facility upgrades, renovations, program restructuring, service development, and expanded deployment of health information technology, health information exchange, and telehealth services across multiple LTPAC provider types. We specifically asked DOH to designate assisted living programs, ADHC programs, hospices, assisted living residences, adult homes and enriched housing providers as eligible community-based health care providers for purposes of the $75 million sub-allocation of HCFTP funds. Our letter also detailed the minimal investments that have been made in LTPAC through the first round of the HCFTP funding awarded last month, as well as other recent grant funding programs.
Funding for the HCFTP grants was re-authorized along with additional funding in the 2017-18 State Budget. The funding will be administered by DOH and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York and will help support the objectives of the Delivery System Reform Incentive Program (DSRIP). The purpose of DSRIP is to reduce health care costs and improve the health outcomes for New Yorkers by expanding access to inpatient, primary, preventative and other ambulatory care services as part of regionally integrated healthcare delivery systems. The HCFTP awards are also focused on projects which will help ensure the financial sustainability of safety net health care providers, including LTPAC providers.
Contact: Dan Heim, dheim@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8383, ext. 128