The Office of Management and Budget issued a memo late last night instructing all federal agencies, to the extent permissible under applicable law, to “temporarily pause all activities related obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.”

While it is unclear whether Medicaid falls within this broad scope (since Medicaid funding is provided to states and not directly to individuals), the memo allows significant discretion to for OMB in how it is implemented.

Reach out to your member of Congress to ask them to provide immediate clarity on this memo.

Take Action Now!

For decades, New York state has not made adequate investments to sustain the essential programs and services people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) rely on. This systemic underfunding has driven us into a critical staffing crisis and eroded the core of New York’s system of supports for its citizens with I/DD.

• We need support for a 7.8% Medicaid rate increase that truly reflects the cost of care. This means that every aspect of care, staff, housing, food, transportation, and more, receives the necessary resources to support the whole person.
• We need to identify the gross disparity in pay between state-operations and non-profit providers.
• We need to be included in and have access to capital funding, which supports the demands of aging facilities and does so in a manner that supports climate goals and lowers costs of operation.

Within the Executive Budget we are calling for:

1. Investment in I/DD services through a 7.8% Medicaid rate increase to stabilize non-profit provider agencies.
2. Creation of a Wage Commission to examine the roles and responsibilities of human service workers and establish fair, sustainable compensation standards commensurate with that work.
3. Enhanced Capital Funding to help agencies modernize their operations, making them more energy-efficient and in alignment with the state’s climate goals.

These are more than just budget requests, they are a commitment to providing the stable care system that people with I/DD deserve.

Advocate Here!

The Ask 

Contact your Senators and Representative today and urge them to reject any proposals that reduce federal Medicaid funding. Cuts to Medicaid would threaten critical home and community-based services (HCBS) for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

The Details

Congressional leaders are discussing proposals that could significantly reduce Medicaid funding, including per-capita caps, reducing the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) floor, and rescinding enhanced funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). While these ideas are still in the early stages and remain undefined, they pose serious risks to services for individuals with I/DD.

Cuts to Medicaid could fundamentally change the program’s structure, shifting costs to states and jeopardizing access to HCBS. This could lead to longer waitlists, fewer available services, and higher rates of institutionalization—placing immense strain on individuals, families, and providers.

Advocate Here!