Here at NYAIL we have been urging both the legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul to support our priorities. Below are a few outstanding issues in this year's budget
Independent Living (IL) Funding
Not included in either house budget. Both houses included the 8.5% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for human services agencies, which does not include Independent Living Centers (ILCs).
Health/Medicaid
Medicaid Redesign Team II (MRT2) Activities of Daily Living (ADL) eligibility: The Senate funds repealing the “Assisted Daily Living eligibility” change with $277M. Additional sponsors have signed onto the bill repealing this harmful reduction in eligibility for home care but inclusion in the budget would be ideal.
Consumer Directed Personal Assistance (CDPA):
o Assembly and Senate both reject the Executive’s proposal to repeal the Fiscal Intermediary (FI) procurement process.
o Assembly and Senate reject the Executive proposal to eliminate wage parity provisions for CDPAP.
Fair Pay for Home Care, maintaining and increasing home care wages –
o Assembly: Rejects the Executive’s proposal to decouple the minimum wage increases from the home care minimum wage. The Assembly also supports the concept, through their resolution, providing oversight of insurance company contracts to the Comptroller, as well as other concepts to hold insurers accountable for distributing public funds.
o Senate: Rejects the Executive’s proposal to decouple the minimum wage increases from the home care minimum wage and adds $2 in increases, $1 per year in 2024 and 2025. Also requires the Department of Health (DOH) to make state-directed payments to providers for the purposes of supporting wage increases and allow the Comptroller to review contracts between managed care organizations and licensed home care services agencies, FIs, or any agencies subject to the home care minimum wage increase.,
Medicaid Buy-In: The Senate supports the Governor’s proposal in their one-house budget. The Assembly proposes to modify the Executive proposal to provide limitations on monthly premium payments, at 8.5% in line with the Affordable Care Act premiums. We're very pleased that eligibility is very likely to expand in the final budget proposal.
Housing
Access To Home is included in both house budgets. The Assembly includes a $1 million increase, and the Senate includes a $3 million increase! Still short of our request of $10 million, but a positive development.
Check out this interview with NYAIL’s Director of Advocacy Alex Thompson, along with Aaron Baier, Director of Administration with the Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley in Troy.
Employment
55-b and 55-c: The Assembly rejects the Executive proposal to increase the number of positions in the 55-b program from 1,200 to 1,700 and to authorize the transfer of employees in 55-b or 55-c positions who meet minimum requirements to competitive class titles without examination. The Senate accepted the proposal and we have advocated for the inclusion of the proposal in the final budget.