Fair Wages for Healthcare Workers. Quality Care for ALL New Yorkers.

Maintain Funding for Safety Net Providers

Your zipcode should not determine the quality of care. Over time, Medicaid and Medicare funding has failed to keep up with increased costs. We thank the Legislature for enacting the Health Care Transformation Fund last year, which is providing for Medicaid rate increases for the first time in 10 years. There is an opportunity to build on that progress this year by increasing the Medicaid Global Cap by 3.6%. In addition, the Legislature should insure that any reforms to the Indigent Care Pool should not harm the safety net institutions, including private ones, that care for the uninsured and Medicaid patients.

Ensure Minimum Wage Funding is Passed Through

Employers should not be punished for paying the new minimum wage. This year 1199 home care and other members are celebrating the $15 minimum wage, and we thank the Legislature for funding increases to Medicaid providers to cover costs. But some managed care companies are not passing these increases on, and quality employers are being hurt. Managed care companies should be required to pass on ALL minimum wage funds that they receive.

Cover Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) waiver workers under the Wage Parity Law

All homecare workers deserve a living wage. Despite doing the same work as other home care workers, aides providing services to TBI patients under this waiver are not covered under the Wage Parity law and are being paid less than their counterparts. The TBI program should be added to the law to ensure workers are compensated fairly.

Greed and corruption have no place in healthcare. Stop bad actors from hurting our care.

Hold Nursing Homes to Higher Quality Standards

Vulnerable nursing home residents are being harmed by owners who prioritize profit over care. Allow the Department of Health to require poor performing homes to have an outside quality monitor, increase fines for failure to correct violations and increase reporting about “related transactions,” where nursing home owners pay companies they also own for services like laundry or staffing.

Return Control of Consumer-Directed Home Care to the Disability Community

Corporate greed and profit should not drive the administration of public dollars. Return control of the consumer-directed home care program back to Centers for Independent Living and other experienced organizations who truly give consumers control. Use a contracting process to eliminate bad actors and uphold high quality standards. Realize administrative savings through an economy of scale.

Strengthen Oversight over Medicaid Managed Care

Public dollars need public oversight. Almost all Medicaid services are now delivered through managed care insurance companies. Some providers have tried to shield themselves from accountability by claiming that once the insurance company receives the payment it is no longer public money. The Governor’s proposals to strengthen Office of the Medicaid Inspector General oversight would ensure that we have public accountability over all Medicaid dollars.

Small investments can make a big difference for our Seniors and our Children.

Expand Services for Seniors

All seniors deserve a safety net. The Legislature should Governor’s proposed $15 million investment in the Expanded In-home Service for the Elderly (EISEP), run through the Department for the Aging, to provide home support for seniors who are just above the Medicaid threshold.

Increase Funding for Child Care Subsidies

Too many workers have to choose between earning an income and caring for their children. Increased investment in the Child Care Facilitated Enrollment Project, which supports working parents with childcare subsidies. An additional $15 million, bringing the total investment to $25 million, would permit increased enrollment and provide for expansion in Nassau, Suffolk and Richmond Counties.