Action Alert: Governor Hochul Can Increase Home Care Data Transparency Today
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From The New York Association on Independent Living ...
The legislature passed A.1926A (Gonzalez-Rojas)/S.1683A (Hinchey) in June, a bill that would require the Department of Health to make CDPA and home care use data available to the public by publishing it on its website annually. DOH must already provide this information in the same format for Medicaid-covered institutional long-term care (LTC) services provided by nursing homes, hospitals, and other facilities, but not for home and community-based services (HCBS), and DOH has refused several past requests for this information. Members of the state legislatures need this information to make informed decisions on Medicaid spending when passing the annual budget that decides CDPA spending and policy.
The Bill is on the Governor's Desk
After passing both the Assembly and Senate, it is now up to Governor Hochul to sign A.1926A/S.1683A into law. Signing this bill would make the DOH reporting requirements equal for both Medicaid institutional placements and HCBS. Important information about the number of consumers enrolled in CDPA, how many there are per county, and the type of Medicaid plans that they have will help lawmakers address the workforce crisis and shortfalls in service access. There will be no identifiable information published, just aggregated data to protect consumer privacy.
Help Make the Difference
Almost half of New Yorkers with disabilities are Medicaid consumers, which pays for HCBS and institutional care. However, only institutional placement data has been publicly available for more than a decade, leaving lawmakers with little information about the scope and needs of CDPA and home care. Passing A.1926A./S.1683A would bring much-needed transparency and integrity to New York's Medicaid LTC system and inspire new approaches to increase access to HCBS for all consumers who desire to live and receive care at home. Please contact Governor Hochul and tell her to sign A.1926.A/S.1683A today.
If you are interested in disability advocacy issues like this one, contact Colleen Downs, Systems Advocate at:
518-563-9058 Ext. 110
The Mission of the North Country Center for Independence is to help people with disabilities to live more independent and productive lives, and promote better policies and community understanding of disability issues. NCCI serves people with disabilities, families, and the community on issues related to physical and mental disabilities. NCCI is led and staffed mostly by people with disabilities. It is one of the 41 Independent Living Centers in New York State. There are also hundreds of similar centers throughout the United States. NCCI serves Clinton and Essex Counties, New York.
