Call Lawmakers TODAY and Engage Resident Families in Final Budget Advocacy!

The Legislature and the Governor are racing toward a final budget agreement for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2022-23. A final State budget is due in less than 10 days, and LeadingAge NY needs all of our members to join us in advocating for our top priorities to ensure that our positions and concerns are heard!

Where Things Stand:

A final budget is due by April 1, 2022.
The Legislature and the Governor are currently in the midst of three-way budget negotiations, but there is a lot still up for debate – including some specifics around the health budget and workforce proposals.
The current budget proposals do not provide an across-the-board Medicaid rate increase beyond the 1 percent proposed by the Executive. LeadingAge NY has been advocating all year for an increase of 7 percent for all long term care providers, and we need to keep this message alive.
The current budget proposals also neglect to provide COVID-19 relief funding for adult care facilities (ACFs)/assisted living (AL).
The medication aide proposal is still being supported and proposed by the Governor, but the Legislature omitted it from their one-house budgets. We need to keep up our momentum around this proposal.
Versions of the Fair Pay for Home Care proposal were included in both the Senate and Assembly one-house budgets, and the proposal is on the table for three-way negotiations.
LeadingAge NY's comprehensive breakdown of the one-house budgets is available here.

What You Can Do:

We need to keep up the pressure on lawmakers while there are still proposals up for negotiation!
CALL YOUR LAWMAKERS TODAY using the service line-specific talking points provided in the March 18^th issue of Legislative Bulletin. Members can easily find their lawmakers’ contact information here. We urge you to call your State Senator, Assembly Member, and the Governor.
Encourage your board members and colleagues to make phone calls as well! Even if you reached out to lawmakers earlier in the budget process, it is critical that you do so again during this last phase of the process.
For nursing homes and ACF/AL providers: Get your network of family advocates engaged in our budget advocacy! LeadingAge NY has created a resident/family advocacy letter that can be sent with just a few clicks. We strongly encourage members to educate families on your workforce and funding challenges and ask that they join us in urging the State to prioritize the care of older adults living in nursing homes and AL. Click here to view and share our new family advocacy letter.
Check out the Legislature’s list of Budget Conference Committees. If you recognize lawmakers who sit on the General Budget Committee (first page) or the Health Budget Committee (Cycle C), please be sure to call them and relay our talking points!
Reach out to Sarah Daly at sdaly@leadingageny.org if you would like more specific recommendations on how best to engage in budget advocacy at this final stage of the process.

Thank you for your diligent budget advocacy all year, and especially now during these final days of budget!