Advocacy Action Alert!

Lawmakers will return to Albany this week to begin negotiations on a final budget – this is a crucial time for advocacy. The Legislature will work to reach consensus on revenues, with a consensus expected to be announced on March 1st. The Senate and Assembly are scheduled to pass their one-house budget bills on March 12th, which will reflect each houses’ priorities for the final budget, followed by the convening of Joint Budget Conference Committees.

To ensure providers’ priorities are included in one-house budget bills, and ultimately a final budget, we must ramp up our advocacy efforts. For your convenience, we have developed five budget-related letters that are located below and on our Legislative Action Center to send to your lawmakers. Please take five minutes out of your day and urge your colleagues and those you serve to join in on this crucial advocacy initiative.

• Support and Restore Funding for Assisted Living: Urge lawmakers to restore funding to historic levels for EQUAL and Enriched Housing and ensure past EnAble and QUIP funds are distributed; extend Capital Restructuring Financing to assisted living providers; and provide funding for UAS-NY implementation.
   
• Support NY’s Home Care Providers: Urge lawmakers to provide adequate funding for the “Wage Parity” mandate; adequately fund managed care contracts with home health services; extend Capital Restructuring Financing to home care providers; and provide funding for UAS-NY implementation.
   
• Support Plans and Providers Through the MLTC Transition: Urge lawmakers to ensure adequacy of premium rates; adequately fund managed care contracts with home health services; provide adequate funding to cover the “Wage Parity” mandate; and provide funding for UAS-NY implementation.
   
• Support Funding for Affordable Senior Housing: Urge your lawmakers to support funding initiatives that are proposed in this year’s budget proposal, and educate them about the need for additional senior housing in New York.
   
• Protect New York’s Nursing Homes: Urge your lawmakers to adjust the Medicaid Global Cap and reject the standard wage mandate and CMI cap.

Since February Fridays began on Feb. 7th, only 187 letters have been sent – please help ensure our budget priorities are included in a final budget by contacting your lawmakers immediately. If you need assistance with this advocacy opportunity, please contact Alyssa Lovelace.

Contact: Alyssa Lovelace, alovelace@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8844