Urge Legislators to Support Medication Aides in the Nursing Home!
State budget discussions are underway as legislative leaders and Governor Hochul are working to come to a final agreement for Fiscal Year 2023-24 by April 1st. As LeadingAge NY members are aware, the main focus of our nursing home budget advocacy this year has been to seek a 20 percent nursing home Medicaid rate increase and a “rebasing” of the nursing home Medicaid rate. We have also been urging the State to authorize the use of medication aides in the nursing home, as was proposed by the Governor in her Executive Budget.
Although the Governor proposed the authorization of medication aides in the nursing home, the Legislature needs to agree in order for the proposal to be included in the final budget. PLEASE CALL YOUR STATE SENATOR AND ASSEMBLYMEMBER TODAY, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, with the below talking points, supporting the authorization of medication aides in this year’s budget. You can find your legislators’ contact information here. Please call the Albany office as a first option, but if you do not speak to someone, you can also call the district office.
PHONE CALL TALKING POINTS: PLEASE SUPPORT MEDICATION AIDES IN THE NURSING HOME!
- I am calling to urge you to support the authorization of nursing home medication aides in this year’s budget!
- New York State has been in a declared health care workforce emergency since 2021, and nursing homes like my own have struggled to compete for staff since even before the COVID-19 pandemic due to inadequate Medicaid reimbursement.
- Allowing specially trained CNAs to work as medication aides would bolster our nursing home career ladder and would free up nurses to focus on the higher-level nursing needs of residents.
- 25 other states already allow medication aides in the nursing home.
- Here in New York, direct support professionals in OPWDD (disability) settings already have the ability to train direct care staff to be able to pass medications.
- This is a no-cost, PARTIAL solution to our nursing home workforce challenges.
- I URGE YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT NURSING HOME MEDICATION AIDES IN THE FINAL BUDGET!
Please call legislators today! If you get questions from lawmakers, you can direct them to reach out to Sarah Daly at sdaly@leadingageny.org or 518-867-8845. Additionally, an issue brief on medication aides in the nursing home is available here and can be sent to your legislators’ offices as a follow-up to your phone call.
Thank you for your advocacy at this critical time!