Assembly SFY 2021-22 Budget Restores Critical Health Funding

Speaker Carl Heastie and Health Committee Chair Richard N. Gottfried today announced the Assembly’s State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2021-22 Budget would make $376 million in restorations to the Medicaid program and $393 million in restorations to public health programs that were eliminated from the Executive Budget.

“After the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our state, it is critically important that we ensure that every New Yorker has access to quality health care,” said Speaker Heastie. “Despite the financial challenges we’re facing, the Assembly’s budget proposal provides funding for the programs and services our communities rely on.” 

“Health care is a human right and the Assembly Majority has long fought to strengthen New York’s health care system and improve patient care,” said Assemblymember Gottfried. “The governor's proposed Medicaid and public health cuts would be wrong in good times but are even more dangerous and unconscionable in a pandemic. The Assembly’s budget would protect New Yorkers from that harm.”

Medicaid Restorations

Faced with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Assembly remains committed to making sure New Yorkers have access to the vital services they need. The Assembly’s spending plan would restore $376 million in Medicaid cuts that were made in the executive’s budget proposal, including $73.9 million for hospitals and $74.25 million for Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) programs. The plan also includes $94 million to restore one percent across the board Medicaid claims cuts.

The plan would also restore $15.4 million in pharmacy reductions, including $6.7 million for prescriber prevails provisions, and $8.7 million to maintain coverage for over-the-counter drugs.

The Assembly proposal would also save $11.3 million in Medicaid MLTC spending by providing $5 million for the Expanded In-home Services for the Elderly Program. Additionally, the spending plan restores funding and includes a new $20 million for workforce recruitment and retention of nursing home certified nursing assistants and home care personal aides. 

Public Health Restorations

The Assembly budget also restores funding to critical public health programs that so many New Yorkers rely on for quality healthcare, including $20 million for New York City's Public health system. 

The Assembly restores $11.9 million for Early Intervention (EI) service providers throughout the state and $100,000 to conduct a rate adequacy study for EI providers.

Other critical public health investments by the Assembly include:

• $25 million in federal appropriations for Nourish New York;
• $3.82 million to restore funding for School Based Health Centers;
• $3.17 million to restore funding to the Rural Health Network Development and Health Care Access Program; and
• $1 million to restore funding for the Nurse-Family Partnership program.

The Assembly proposal would also expand coverage under the Essential Plan to individuals with a confirmed or expected COVID diagnosis that would otherwise be eligible except for their immigration status.