Legislative Bulletin: 10 Days Away from 2023 Budget Advocacy Week!
February 3, 2023
SFY 2023-24 Executive Budget Proposal Includes 5% Increase in Medicaid Rates
On Wednesday afternoon, Governor Kathy Hochul presented her State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2023-2024 Executive Budget Proposal and Budget Briefing Book. During her Executive Budget announcement, Governor Hochul emphasized the importance of making New York safer, more affordable, and more livable. The address focused on housing, mental health, childcare and safety, as the Governor proposed to invest $1 billion in mental health services and to expand the New York Housing Compact initiative to create 800,000 new homes over the next decade. The Governor also highlighted her proposal to index the state’s minimum wage to inflation.
The proposed $227 billion(B) budget for SFY 2023-24 includes $34B (state share) in expenditures for Medicaid and healthcare workforce. This includes a 5 percent increase in Medicaid operating rates for nursing homes, Medicaid Assisted Living Program providers and hospitals, as well as $1B for a new round of Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Grants (Round V), and $100 million (M) to expand Medicaid coverage for 7.4M New Yorkers.
The Executive Budget bills were released around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, and the LeadingAge NY policy team has been hard at work, analyzing all Executive budget materials that have been released and their potential impacts on members.
On Wednesday evening, LeadingAge NY sent its members a high-level summary of proposals impacting members. As we complete our review, LeadingAge NY will supplement the initial budget member message with a more thorough, comprehensive Executive Budget Proposal Summary no later than Thursday, Feb. 9th.
REGISTER NOW for 2023 Budget Advocacy!
Now that we have seen the Governor’s Executive Budget proposal, and we know the foundation of the 2023-24 state budget negotiations, it is critical that we re-double our unified advocacy efforts.
Over the course of the next eight weeks, legislators will be hearing from stakeholders and constituents on every issue under the sun – education, health care, transportation, clean energy, etc.
It is paramount that we keep long-term care and aging services top-of-mind for legislators as they begin to determine what their personal budget priorities will be. We are urging ALL LeadingAge NY members to connect with their legislators on key budget priorities during the month of February.
The easiest way to participate in budget advocacy is to register for our 2023 Virtual Advocacy week. This year, LeadingAge NY has the goal of connecting with over 100 lawmakers during the first two weeks of February! We know we can succeed in this goal, but we can only do so with the help and participation of our membership.
Three easy steps to participate in budget advocacy:
- CLICK HERE TO REGISTER for LeadingAge NY 2023 Virtual Advocacy Week, Feb. 13 – 17.
- CALL YOUR STATE SENATOR & ASSEMBLY MEMBER to request a virtual/Zoom meeting for Feb. 13-17. OR indicate on the registration form that you would like LeadingAge NY to set up a meeting on your behalf. As an additional resource for individuals new to advocacy, we have developed this legislative scheduling guide to assist members in setting up meetings.
- Send your meeting details to Sarah Daly at sdaly@leadingageny.org, so that we can track our combined advocacy efforts and support you in your advocacy.
Support that will be provided during 2023 Virtual Advocacy Week, Feb 13-17:
- Service-line specific legislative handouts and meeting materials.
- Policy team participation in legislative meetings.
- Scheduling assistance.
- Legislative follow-up/answering questions.
- Budget and Advocacy Week Prep Webinar on Friday, Feb. 10th at 11 AM.
- Briefing on Executive Budget Proposal and its impacts.
For more details on how to get involved in 2023 Budget Advocacy, and how to join the Feb. 10th Webinar, visit our website.
Budget Hearing Schedule Announced
Following the Governor’s budget presentation on Wednesday, Senate Finance Committee Chair Liz Krueger and Assembly Ways and Means Committee Chair Helene Weinstein announced the schedule for the Joint Legislative Budget Hearings for SFY 2023-24. These hearings provide an opportunity for the Legislature to hear from state agency heads and the public about the impacts of the Executive Budget Proposal. For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, all budget hearings will be held in-person, in Albany.
LeadingAge New York has submitted to provide in-person testimony at the Health & Medicaid Budget Hearing scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 28th. We also intend to provide written testimony for the Housing Budget Hearing on March 1st, and may weigh in on the hearings related to workforce development and human services. However, each stakeholder is permitted to provide oral testimony at only one hearing. The full schedule for this year’s Joint Legislative Budget Hearings is available here.
Last Chance to Complete January Advocacy Survey!
As a recommendation from our Public Affairs Council, LeadingAge NY is asking members to complete a very brief survey on your organization’s January advocacy activity. Knowing about your organization’s advocacy activity allows us to follow up with offices here in Albany, hold legislators accountable throughout the state budget process, and identify legislators who have not heard from us. Please take a moment to complete this simple survey by end of day Monday, Feb. 6th.
LeadingAge New York in the News
Following the Governor’s Executive Budget announcement on Wednesday, LeadingAge New York has been contacted for several press interviews to weigh in on the proposal’s impacts on non-profit long-term care providers and nursing homes.
On Thursday night, Spectrum News & New York State of Politics ran an article and television spot featuring an interview with LeadingAge New York CEO, Jim Clyne. During the interview, Clyne pointed out that, “every metropolitan area upstate has hospitals on diversion. Meaning that they can’t take ambulances, because they don’t have room…one of the major reasons for that is because they can’t discharge people to nursing homes, because we don’t have the money to staff them”.
The Spectrum coverage also featured an interview with Assembly Member John McDonald, who has been outspoken on the need to increase nursing home Medicaid rates. Regarding the proposed five percent increase to nursing home Medicaid rates, the Assembly Member said, “it’s a start, but it’s not going to be enough.”
Crain’s Health Pulse also reported on Governor Hochul’s proposal to increase Medicaid rates to nursing homes. That news article featured quotes from Jim Clyne, as well as Stuart Almer, President and CEO of Gurwin Healthcare System, who indicated that while a 5 percent increase to rates sounds like a lot more than the funding actions of the past, it is not enough to ensure the survival of quality nursing home operators.
Prior to the Governor’s announcement, the issue of nursing home Medicaid funding was already garnering significant media attention, particularly with the release of a joint-association letter signed by LeadingAge New York, 1199 SEIU and other nursing home advocacy groups.
Wrongful Death Bill Vetoed by Governor
On Monday, a bill that LeadingAge New York opposed and has been tracking since the close of the 2022 legislative session was ultimately vetoed by Governor Hochul, via a pocket veto. The “Wrongful Death bill”, A.6770/S.74-A, proposed to amend the estates, powers and trusts law, to expand the damages recoverable in a wrongful death action to include compensation for grief or anguish, loss of love and companionship, loss of services and support, and loss of nurture and guidance.
LeadingAge New York is sympathetic to the heartbreaking losses that are endured with the death of a loved one, particularly if misconduct may be involved. However, a letter of opposition was sent to the Governor in early January due to significant concerns around the bill’s impacts on health care costs and access to care concerns in light of the distressed financial condition of the state’s not-for-profit and public long-term care providers.
This legislation is likely to be reintroduced in the 2023-24 legislative session, and LeadingAge New York will continue to track the movement of the issue and update members accordingly.
LeadingAge & LeadingAge New York Coronavirus Resources
LeadingAge NY continues to closely follow all COVID-19 news and we are doing our best to keep members informed of updates, recommendations and guidelines from the Department of Health (DOH).
LeadingAge NY and LeadingAge National Member resources are linked below.
LeadingAge NY Coronavirus Resources
LeadingAge NY COVID-19 Weekly Update calls – Mondays at 11 a.m. Click here to join the call from your computer, android or apple device. Or you can join the call by dialing in: 877 853 5257 (Toll Free); Webinar ID: 852 964 255.
LeadingAge National Coronavirus Policy Updates – Mondays and Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. Past call recordings are available here and you can register here for future calls.
Contact: Sarah Daly; 518.867.8845; sdaly@leadingageny.org