Nearly 140 community groups, nonprofits, providers, social service organizations, and employers from across the state are urging Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Heastie to remove Governor’s Hochul’s budget proposal, Part P of the Health and Mental Hygiene Bill (S.8007/A.9007), which would limit the number of Medicaid plans available in every region of the state and disrupt care for more than 500,000 vulnerable New Yorkers.
March 9, 2022
| Hon. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Senate Majority Leader | Hon. Carl Heastie, Assembly Speaker |
| Room 907, LOB | Room 932, LOB |
| Albany, NY 12247 | Albany, NY 12248 |
Dear Leader Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Heastie:
On behalf of a broad group of stakeholders from across the state representing community groups, nonprofits, providers, social service organizations, and employers, we are writing to express our opposition to the Governor’s proposal (Part P of A.9007/A.8007) to reduce the number of health plans in the Medicaid program. Part P will take away choices from patients, create havoc in the delivery system, and undercut efforts to promote health equity, and we urge you to reject this proposal.
More than 5.5 million New Yorkers rely on Medicaid managed care plans for their care. Many of these individuals are among the state’s most at-risk residents, with multiple health conditions that require coordination of numerous services. This includes both physical health and mental health care, long-term services and supports, as well as help coordinating social services, such as housing, employment, education, and food access.
Reducing the number of health plans will require hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to select a new plan, causing confusion for vulnerable patients and disrupting their care if they have to change providers. The state should not make accessing care more difficult for individuals with complex health needs by causing them to change doctors if their current plan is eliminated under this proposal.
Further, Part P will leave fewer options available for communities of color. Minority and underserved populations have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. By limiting options in Medicaid, this proposal will undermine efforts to address racial and ethnic disparities in care.
It also will take away resources from other critical health priorities, including recertifying eligibility of Medicaid members as the public health emergency ends which is critical to ensuring that low-income New Yorkers remain covered. Further, health plans that are not chosen as part of the proposed procurement will be forced to layoff staff or close completely, exacerbating the economic challenges many employees are facing and making it more difficult to replace the jobs that have already been lost due to the pandemic.
As organizations committed to the communities we serve, we urge you to protect patient choice for vulnerable New Yorkers who rely on the Medicaid program by rejecting inclusion of Part P in your one-house budget resolutions and opposing it in the final FY23 State Budget.
Sincerely,
Provider Organizations
1st Class Care Services
A & J Adult DayCare
Advanced Home Care Services
Advantage Home Care
Aliah Homecare
Alissa Home Care
Americare
Americare Certified Special Services
American Business Institute
Angel’s Touch Home Care
APNA Brooklyn Community Center
At Home Solutions
Be Well Primary Health Care Center
BHRAGS Home Care Corp
Blue Line Agency
BNV Home Care Agency
Bright Horizon Prime Care
Burd Home Health
CarePro of Big Apple
CarePro of NY
Caring Adult Day Care
Caring Professionals
Carl Moore dba CNY Quality Transport
Cayuga County Office for the Aging
CenterCare Home Care Agency
Chenango Valley Home dba Chenango Valley Adult
CHI Health Center
Circle of Life Ambulette
Committed Home Care
Community Affairs Home Attendant
Consumer Directed Choices
Day Day Happy Social Daycare
Diversified Services for OT, PT, SLP & Audiology, LLC
Edible Independence
Efficient Health Careers Inc. dba Unicare Home Care
Elemental Management Group
Eli Transportation
Elite Home Health Care
Entrusted Care
FEGS Home Attendant Services
Home Attendant Services of Hyde Park
Home Health Management Services
FirstLight Home Care (Ciambella Home Care)
Five Star Medical Transportation
Fort Hudson Certified Home Health Agency
Fort Hudson Health System – Social Adult Day Care
Fort Hudson Home Care – LHCSA
Fort Hudson Nursing Center
Friends and Family Home Care Services
G&L Medical Equipment and Supplies
Golden Days Adult Day Program
Golden Empire Adult Day Care Center
Graceland HomeCare
Great Care
Happiness Daycare Center
HDA Care
Healthy Family Social Daycare
Hanmaum Daycare LLC dba Jangsu Daycare
Help Home Health Care Agency
Home Meal Service
Homecrest Community Services
Hope & Cherish Home Care
Horizon Home Care
HouseCalls Home Care
Independent@Home
Incare Home Health Care
Infiniti Home Care dba Continental Home Care
Inspire Care of CNY
Ithaca Dispatch
K-N-K Transport
L & G Home Care Agency
La Familia Homecare
Life Care Services
Little Angel Medical Transportation
MacKay Service
MaimonCare
Marquis Home Care
Merlmax Challenge Home Care
Mohawk Ambulance Service
Morningstar Residential Care Center
Neighborhood Health Center
Nemo Home Care, LLC dba Anchor Health Choice
North Country Home Services
Northeast Mobility Center
Oriental Senior Day Care
Palatine Nursing Home & Rehabilitation Center
ParCare Community Health Network
Parent Care Home Care
People Care
Personal Touch Home Care
Platinum Home Health Care
Precious Heart Sisterhood Inc. dba Precious Heart Adult Social
Preferred Home Care of New York
R.A.I.N. Home Attendant Services
Rebecca Norman, OT
Regency of Boro Park LHCSA dba Regency Health Care
S & A Unified Home Care
Safe Haven Home Care
Senior Home Care & Alzheimer’s Solutions
Self Direct
Sobola Enterprise & Home Care Service
Southern New York Association
Speedy Medical Transportation
Sunrise Senior Service
Tender Care Professional Services
Tri-Med Home Care
Tri-Med Home Care Services
Troy Ambulance Service, Inc. dba Empire Ambulance
Trusted Choice
Upstate Homecare
Visiting Nursing Association of WNY
Weng’s Group NY, Inc dba ADJ Wisdom Home Care
X-Treme Home Care
Xincon Home Health Care
Young At Heart Adult Day Center
Zhiqing Social Adult Day Care
Community & Business Organizations
African Services Committee
Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center
American Changle Association NY
Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association New York Chapter
Boro Park Jewish Community Council
Buffalo Niagara Partnership
Chinese Chamber of Commerce of New York
Chinese Chamber of Commerce of New York Junior Chamber of Commerce
Chinese Community Center
Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
Cortland Area Chamber of Commerce
Delaware Opportunities
First Chinese Presbyterian
Flushing Chinese Business Association
Fordham Road Business Improvement District
Jews for Racial and Economic Justice
Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C.
NY Laundromat Business Association
United Chinese Association of Brooklyn
United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg and North Brooklyn
Women’s Community Justice Association
cc: Hon. Liz Krueger, Chair, Senate Finance Committee
Hon. Helene Weinstein, Chair, Assembly Ways and Means Committee
Hon. Gustavo Rivera, Chair, Senate Health Committee
Hon. Richard Gottfried, Chair, Assembly Health Committee
Hon. Neil Breslin, Chair, Senate Insurance Committee
Hon. Kevin Cahill, Chair, Assembly Insurance Committee
Hon. Robert G. Ortt, Senate Minority Leader
Hon. William A. Barclay, Assembly Minority Leader
