Legislative Bulletin: Urge Legislators to Include LTC Budget Priorities in One-House Budget Proposals

March 1, 2024

ACTION ALERT: Bring Your Budget Advocacy to Social Media!

With less than two weeks until the Senate and Assembly put forth their one house budget proposals, LeadingAge NY members are strongly encouraged to bring their advocacy to social media! For the next week, we should be doing everything we can to capture the attention of legislators via social media and digital letter writing campaigns.

To make it easy for members to post on Facebook, Twitter/X and other socials, LeadingAge NY has crafted the below messages which members can easily copy and paste into your chosen platform. However, please be sure to tag your State Legislators in your post!

• Nursing Homes – Post this video along with the below social media message:

“Medicaid funding directly impacts nursing homes ability to hire and retain staff. Workers deserve adequate wages; but inadequate Medicaid funding makes it difficult for homes to compete for staff. Nursing home Medicaid rates fall short of costs by $810 million ANNUALLY. (Tag State Legislators), please increase funding for nursing homes so we can provide the quality care residents deserve! #NursingHomeSOS”

• Affordable Senior Housing - Post this graphic along with the below social media message:

“Chronic underfunding is making it harder for older New Yorkers to access quality long-term care. (Tag State legislators) – NY must invest NOW in modest, innovative programs that support healthy, independent aging for low-income older adults. Please fund an Affordable Senior Housing Resident Assistant Program! #SupportOurSeniors”

• Adult Care Facilities – Post this graphic along with the below social media message:

“Adult care facilities are already woefully underfunded for services they provide to low-income residents, yet the Executive Budget seeks to eliminate the Enriched Housing Subsidy and EQUAL. (Tag State legislators), please invest in quality of life for older adults and restore funding for the Enriched Housing Subsidy and EQUAL in this year’s budget! #SupportOurSeniors”

• Assisted Living Programs – Post this graphic along with the below social media message:

“The Assisted Living Program (ALP) is the only AL available to low-income older adults & it has not had a standard Medicaid rate adjustment since 2007. (tag your State legislators), please reject cuts to long-term care as proposed by the Governor, and update the ALP rate to ensure the viability of this important level of care. #NYHealthBudgetGap”

• Managed Long-Term Care – Post this graphic along with the below social media message:

“In the face of rising costs and staffing shortages, Governor Hochul proposes cutting Managed Long-Term Care (MLTC) by $263 million (M); and further cutting other LTC services by up to $800 M. (Tag your State legislators), cuts to MLTC are cuts to home care and community-based services for older adults. Please reject any cuts to aging services in this year’s budget! #NYHealthBudgetGap”

• Home & Community-Based Services – Post this graphic along with the below social media message:

“Certified home health agencies (CHHAs) and hospice are receiving many patient referrals from hospitals and health systems, but are struggling to keep up with demand. Strains on home care access are contributing to hospital back-ups. (Tag your State legislators), support funding for home care agencies to ensure access to quality care in the home! #NYHealthBudgetGap”

• Adult Day Health Care – Post this graphic along with the below social media message:

“Older adults statewide went without ADHC services during the pandemic, resulting in a spike in preventable hospitalizations. (Tag your State legislators), please provide funding for ADHC so programs can rebuild, reopen and serve more individuals in need of medical services in the community! Programs need funding to attract staff, cover operational costs, and continue to provide essential care! #SupportOurSeniors”

In addition to the above draft messages, LeadingAge NY has created a Social Media Toolkit, offering a suite of pre-written social media messages, and graphics. These social media messages respond to the Executive Budget Proposal (released Jan. 16 and amended on Feb. 15) and our subsequent analysis of that budget proposal and its potential impacts on our members.

We are asking our members to post on social media AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE now through March 8^th.  If ALL LeadingAge NY members use these resources and tools in a consistent manner – posting and TAGGING LEGISLATORS at least one or two times a week– we have the power to influence state funding decisions and secure INVESTMENTS in LTC, rather than CUTS.

 

ACTION ALERT: Authorize Medication Aides in the Nursing Home

With less than two weeks until the Senate and Assembly put forth their one-house budget proposals, we need to urge State Legislators to include the authorization of nursing home Certified Medication Aides (CMAs) in this year’s budget! We are hearing that legislators understand the funding needs of nursing homes, our workforce and our residents, but now we need to spend some time pushing for this no-cost workforce initiative to be included in each of the one-house budgets.

Please take a few minutes to utilize these Medication Aide Advocacy Action Items TODAY!

1. SEND AN EMAIL TO YOUR LEGISALTORS: Click here to send an email to your State Senator and Assembly Member, it only takes a few clicks!
2. SHARE the digital advocacy letter with your board members and colleagues to amplify our advocacy! (https://www.leadingageny.org/advocacy/advocacy-action-items/authorize-nursing-home-medication-aides-in-this-years-budget/)
3. PRINT and SHARE the attached flyer to help drive more traffic to our digital advocacy letter! Please note, the letter is written from the general perspective of “someone who works in a nursing home”.
4. POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
   1. Copy and Paste this message into your social media platforms, and TAG YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS!

It’s time for New York to authorize the training and employment of Certified Medication Aides (CMAs) in nursing homes! 38 states already authorize the role, and it is a no-cost measure to help address staffing shortages in nursing homes. (Tag your State legislators), please authorize medication aides in nursing homes to expand our direct care professional career ladder! #NursingHomeSOS

1. 2. Download and save this photo to add to your social media post.

Thank you for your advocacy at this critical time.

 

REMINDER: Send Budget Advocacy Letters to Legislators TODAY!

As legislators hear from stakeholders from across sectors about countless State budget requests, it is critical that we keep the funding needs of long-term care and aging services providers top-of-mind.  Our window of opportunity to urge for better funding of long-term care is closing, as one-house budgets will be finalized in less than two weeks. Please send a message to your legislators TODAY!

Each of the below letters takes only a minute or two to send. Simply enter your information to automatically send an email to your State Senator and Assembly Member! After you send your letters, consider ways that you can engage your staff teams, consumers, board members and volunteers in advocacy! Take a look at this action center created by St. Luke’s health Services!

Please use the below links to send messages to your legislators and the Governor TODAY!

• Nursing Home Budget Letters – several letters available for family members, staff, residents, etc.
• Resident Assistant in Affordable Senior Housing Budget Letter
• Adult Care Facilities/Assisted Living Budget Letter
• Home & Community-Based Services Budget Letter
• Managed Long-Term Care Budget Letter
•  Adult Day Health Care Budget Letter
• Continuing Care Retirement Communities Budget Letter

Share Flyers with Your Network of Advocates!

To help drive traffic to these digital letters and expand our network of advocates, LeadingAge NY has created flyers that can be printed or shared electronically with your workforce, families, and community members. Flyers are linked below for member usage:

• Medication Aides in Nursing Homes Advocacy Flyer – NEW; please share with staff & board members
• Resident Assistant in Senior Housing Advocacy Flyer –please share with staff, residents and families
• Workforce Advocacy Flyer –  please share with staff teams
• Family Advocacy Flyer – please share with families
• General Constituent Advocacy Flyer - please share with volunteers/community members

 

LeadingAge NY Members & Legislators in the Press

This week, resident of Jewish Home in Rochester, Cordelia Peterson, was featured in the Buffalo News highlighting her concerns regarding the nursing home crisis and Governor Hochul’s budget response. In her piece, she outlined the dire issues impacting access to care for older adults, including New York’s growing aging population, the Medicaid funding gap, and most importantly, the Governor’s lack of attention to the displacement and care of our older adults. Most nursing home residents rely on Medicaid, yet the Governor refuses to take responsibility for underfunding long-term care and is now proposing cuts. Read more about the harsh reality our seniors will soon face in the full editorial.

In addition to nursing home residents, State Legislators have joined our efforts to speak out against the Governor’s proposed cuts to long-term care. Senator Stec submitted a guest editorial to The Post Star, educating the public on the nursing home crisis. In the paper, Senator Stec acknowledges the stagnant reimbursement rate in the face of inflation and labor costs, and the need to address this issue in this year’s state budget. He reassures seniors that they deserve quality care and urges the State to address the Medicaid funding gap with an investment of $510 million in state-share funding to nursing home Medicaid rates.

Members are encouraged to keep us apprised of all your local press work so that we can carry-out your message here in Albany and ensure that legislators are hearing our unified message loud and clear!

 

REGISTER NOW: LeadingAge National Lobby Day & Leaders of Color Network!

LeadingAge NY members are strongly encouraged to join us in D.C. for LeadingAge’s 2024 Leadership Summit & Lobby Day! The national Lobby Day is your chance to advocate face-to-face for federal funding and policies to improve aging services for older adults and providers. You don’t need to be a lobbyist or policy wonk to be an advocacy champion. Your on-the-ground expertise is your most valuable asset. Together, we can amplify our voice to raise awareness about the most critical issues impacting aging services providers, their employees, and the older adults and families they serve. Click here to register for Leadership Summit  & Lobby Day!

This year, the Leaders of Color Network encourages leaders of color in aging services to get excited about representing our sector. The group is hosting a virtual gathering on March 6, 2 p.m. ET, to help you get informed and inspired! The webinar will offer a practical guide to the process of visits to Capitol Hill—as seen through the eyes of seasoned advocates. You’ll hear from a panel of leaders of color who will share their experiences and the value leaders of color bring to federal advocacy efforts. Also, Linda Couch, Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, will provide an overview of our 2024 policy priorities and what to expect from this year’s Congressional visits. Register now to join us!

 

Governor Hochul Signs Revised Congressional Lines into Law

This week, the Legislature introduced and passed a revised version of the state’s congressional district lines, as proposed by the Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC). After much deliberation and arriving at the new proposed lines, the maps quickly passed both the Senate and Assembly on Wednesday afternoon, thanks to Governor Hochul's message of necessity, which allowed legislators to skip the usual three-day waiting period. The maps were promptly signed into law and are now in effect. In her approval of the lines, Hochul stressed the importance of the timely completion of the petitioning process, as any further delays could disrupt primary elections. Spectrum News provides details regarding the change in district lines and the implications that follow.

The adjustments made to the congressional districts appear reasonable to Democrats and Republicans alike, and many members believe the changes exercise fairness and prevent the unnecessary division of communities. However, any new district lines could have a significant impact on election outcomes this fall as constituents cast their votes for new members of the U.S. House of Representatives

Contact: Sarah Daly; 518.867.8845; sdaly@leadingageny.org