01 Mar CP works for New Yorkers with I/DD at Albany Legislative Advocacy Days

Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther shows her support for 3for5.

Executives, staff and volunteer Board Members from CP of NYS Affiliates and other non-profit service providers from across the state joined together in Albany on Feb. 25-26 for Lobby Days.

CP State partnered with ALIA, DDAWNY, IAC, and NYAEMP to organize the Albany Legislative Advocacy Days this year.

Staff and volunteers from all over the state met with their elected representatives to call for 3for5, a 3% annual program funding investment for 5 years. A 3% increase is necessary to begin to correct the historical disparity in funding of services and supports that are the foundation of health for New Yorkers with developmental disabilities. It keeps pace with inflation, and it is on par with overall growth of Medicaid funding.

Legislators were reminded that a decade of underinvestment has forced one third of OPWDD funded providers to close or reduce programs,  impacting 30,000 employees and 50,000 people with disabilities

Half of New York’s nonprofit providers have less than 40 days of cash on hand and 1/3 have less than 30 days of cash, just two pay periods away from not being able to make payroll.

At various points throughout the two days, we were joined by Sen. David Carlucci, Sen. Gustavo Rivera, and Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther who are staunch supporters of 3for5.

In addition to 3for5, the group also advocated for the preservation of the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program and to shift current commercial insurance coverage from a claims-based model to a covered lives pool funded program. These are valuable and cost-effective tools that would ultimately save New Yorkers money.

Click here to view the organizations’ full list of budget requests.