State Budget Deadline Pushed to May 14th – Please Continue to Call Legislators!

(May 11, 2026) On Mon., May 11^th, Governor Hochul and the NYS Legislature introduced the eleventh Emergency Appropriation and budget extension of the year, moving the state budget deadline to Thurs., May 14^th.

Although the approach to a final state budget agreement has been filled with fits and starts, LeadingAge NY remains hopeful that a final spending agreement is on the horizon, and we believe policymakers will be increasingly motivated to reach consensus. The involvement of our members in advocacy remains critical.

LeadingAge NY members are strongly encouraged to continue calling state legislators this week!

If you spoke to your legislators last week, please reach out to them again this week to thank them for their continued support and ask them to continue to raise the funding needs of long-term care at every opportunity.
If you have not yet spoken to your legislators this month, this is a critical time to make sure that you are placing phone calls and getting your message to the right person.

Legislators are scheduled to be in Albany Monday-Thursday this week for legislative session. Please call your state legislators’ Albany offices today to remind them of the budget requests that are most important to you.

ACTION NEEDED: Please Call State Legislators!

Members can find state legislators’ contact information here. Please call the Albany office of both your State Senator and Assembly Member. Please also call any other state legislators whom you have spoken to this year.
Service line-specific talking points for phone calls are available below.
- Try to keep your top budget requests for phone calls to 3-4 items.
- If legislators ask for additional details on these budget requests, feel free to download and share any of these state budget issue briefs.
Calls will only take a few minutes and can make all the difference.

Service Line Talking Points:

Nursing Homes:

First, I want to thank you for your support so far in this year’s state budget work.
We are hearing that the State is now moving toward a final state budget.
Please remember that “protecting New Yorkers,” as the Governor has said, also means protecting older adults and vulnerable individuals who need long-term care.
At this critical time, please do not forget the funding and budget actions necessary to support non-profit nursing homes, our residents, and our workforce.
In the final state budget, please continue last year's investment of $385 million in the nursing home Medicaid rate, and add $750 million in new Medicaid funding for nursing homes.
Any reduction to last year’s funding would be a cut for our nursing home, and we need $750 million in new investment to narrow the $1.6 billion gap between Medicaid reimbursement and costs for NY's nursing homes.
We also ask that the final budget include the full capital cut restoration of 15%, as was proposed in both the Senate and Assembly one-house budget proposals.
[Remind offices of your daily/annual Medicaid losses]
Our residents and workforce deserve permanent funding and reimbursement that covers the actual cost of care. We need this funding in order to continue serving the older adults and medically vulnerable individuals in our community.
Lastly, please accept and include the Governor’s proposal to authorize medication aides in nursing homes in the final budget.
Older adults deserve to age safely and with dignity.
Thank you again for your time, and please let me know if you have any questions.

Adult Care Facilities (ACFs) and Assisted Living:

First, I want to thank you for your support so far in this year’s state budget work.
We are hearing that the State is now moving toward a final state budget.
Please remember that “protecting New Yorkers,” as the Governor has said, also means protecting older adults and vulnerable individuals who need – or will soon need – long-term care.
At this critical time, please do not forget the funding and budget actions necessary to support the assisted living and adult care facilities – and older adults – who rely on government funding in order to operate and offer high-quality care.
Please increase the Assisted Living Program (ALP) Medicaid rate by at least 10% and update the base year upon which the rate is calculated (as proposed in bill A.1406 (Paulin)/S.3329 (Cooney)).
Double the funding for the Special Needs Assisted Living Residence (SNALR) Voucher program to $15 million.
Restore full funding for the Enhancing the Quality of Adult Living (EQUAL) program at $6.5 million for ACFs that serve low-income residents.
Restore funding for the Enriched Housing Subsidy program at $380,000 for ACFs that serve low-income residents.
[Remind offices of your daily/annual financial losses and/or the negative impacts you see on older adults and families every day due to lack of aging options]
Older adults deserve to age safely and with dignity.
Thank you again for your time, and please let me know if you have any questions.

Affordable Senior Housing Resident Assistants:

First, I want to thank you for your support so far in this year’s state budget work.
We are hearing that the State is now moving toward a final state budget.
Please remember that “protecting New Yorkers,” as the Governor has said, also means protecting older adults and ensuring that they have a safe place to live as they age.
At this critical time, please do not forget the funding and budget actions necessary in order to establish the Affordable Senior Housing Resident Assistance Program.
Please accept and include the Senate’s proposal to invest just $2 million in this year’s budget to support Resident Assistant positions in affordable rental housing for low-income older adults.
This funding will help older adults living in affordable housing navigate health and social supports and will facilitate on-site social and wellness activities.
Based on peer-reviewed research, this modest $2 million investment would generate $6.5 million in Medicaid savings to the State – for a NET savings of $4.5 million annually.
In addition, please accept the Senate’s proposal to commit $40 million in capital to developing and preserving affordable housing properties designed to meet the needs of older adults.
We need more housing options for aging New Yorkers, and to ensure that these homes have systems in place that can help older adults continue to age healthily and independently, improving their quality of life and reducing strains on the health care sector.
Older adults deserve to age safely and with dignity.
Thank you again for your time, and please let me know if you have any questions.

Home and Community-Based Services:

First, I want to thank you for your support so far in this year’s state budget work.
We are hearing that the State is now moving toward a final state budget.
Please remember that “protecting New Yorkers,” as the Governor has said, also means protecting older adults and vulnerable individuals who need long-term care or help at home.
At this critical time, please do not forget the funding and budget actions necessary to support the home and community-based service options that are critical for the healthy and independent aging of New Yorkers.
In the final state budget, please ensure adequate funding for certified home health agencies and hospice agencies as proposed by the Senate.
Please also invest in Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) programs and fully restore the nursing home capital rate cut, which also impacts ADHC.
Please restore the fee-for-service personal care administrative reimbursement rate cut at $7.5 million.
Please ensure that the Hospital at Home program requires home care collaborations and does not divert funds from long-term/post-acute care services.
[Remind offices of any access to care challenges that you see impacting consumers in your area of the state]
Older adults deserve to age safely and with dignity.
Thank you again for your time, and please let me know if you have any questions.

Managed Long-Term Care (MLTC) and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE):

First, I want to thank you for your support so far in this year’s state budget work.
We are hearing that the State is now moving toward a final state budget.
Please remember that “protecting New Yorkers,” as the Governor has said, also means protecting older adults and vulnerable individuals who need long-term care.
At this critical time, please do not forget the funding and budget actions necessary to support aging New Yorkers who rely on MLTC or could benefit from the expansion of PACE programs.
In the final budget, please address these three simple requests:
- Restore the MLTC Quality Pool for Partial Cap and Medicaid Advantage Plus (MAP) plans.
- Raise PACE rates to reflect 100% of the amount that would otherwise be paid by Medicaid for a comparable population served outside of the PACE program (AWOP). Right now, NYS pays PACE programs at 98% of the AWOP.
- Preserve Partial Cap MLTC and the access to quality care it has created. If it comes up in discussions, please reject A.2018-A (Paulin)/S.2332-A (Rivera).
Thank you again for your time, and please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you for making these phone calls! Please let us know if you receive any specific feedback from offices. We are happy to assist with any follow-up needed.

LeadingAge NY will continue to closely monitor state budget developments and advocate for the funding and reforms that reflect the real needs of NY's older adults and the mission-driven providers who care for them. Please reach out with any questions.

Contact: Sarah Daly, sdaly@leadingageny.org