Tell Gov. Hochul to Invest in the Entire System of Supports for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

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:

• Investment in I/DD services through a 7.8% Medicaid rate increase to stabilize non-profit provider agencies.
• 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.
• 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.

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