To support your advocacy efforts, CP State has created an updated resource package, including shareable information sheets and talking points. If you have not done so already, please be sure to schedule your virtual appointments with Senators and Assemblymembers as soon as possible to take full advantage of the budget negotiation timeline. This is an important time to advocate prior to the release of one-house budget bills, which are typically released the second week of March.
Click here to find your representative
- Updated Talking Points
- Workforce One-Sheet FOR ELECTEDS (leave-behind for legislative visits)
- Workforce One-Sheet FOR ADVOCATES (includes one-click code to send letters to legislators)
- 4410 and 853 schools One-Sheet (for legislative visits)
- Early intervention One-Sheet(for legislative visits)
- Clinic One-Sheet (for legislative visits)
- Draft Workforce Op Eds
- Draft Clinic Op Ed
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CP State and its partners in New York Disability Advocates have released 2023-24 Legislative Priorities. Focused on the workforce crisis, they call for an investment in New York’s care economy.
We urge the state to include:
An 8.5% Cost-of-Living Adjustment
Due to significant inflation and supply chain disruptions have resulted in significant financial pressure on agencies, necessitating an 8.5% COLA to be included in the 2024 NYS Budget to ensure the long-term sustainability of non-profit disability service providers.
A Direct Support Wage Enhancement of $4,000 per eligible employee
Under the DSWE, provider agencies will receive $4,000 per eligible employee to be used for the purpose of enhancing the hourly rate of pay for all staff that have direct care/support responsibilities for individuals with I/DD.
Address Health Inequity for People with Disabilities
New York State’s failure to recognize and fully support the specialty care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) has created a separate and unequal system of health care. NY’s Medicaid policy has led to people with I/DD being denied equitable access to care simply because the cost of care for their complex needs is higher than that for the typical Medicaid population. People with disabilities require more time, expertise, follow up and care integration, which when provided will save system costs and improve health outcomes.
A full report on health equity for the I/DD population written in 2022 outlines several recommendations to resolve this problem; however, there are a few immediate steps that must be included in the FY 2024 budget:
- Increase the APG payment rates for people with disabilities (code 95 and code 81) by 30% to cover current losses due to higher care needs.
- Provide public goods funding specifically for clinics supporting complex, high needs patients to ensure clinics can remain open across NYS.