March 29, 2023

As lawmakers in Albany continue to debate the merits of various budget proposals, we need to push the NYS Senate to match the Assembly one house budget bill that ADDS an additional $10M for the CCBHC Demo Expansion AND the creation of an Indigent Care Pool for Demo agencies.

Here’s more:

1. CCBHC Demo Expansion:  The Governor’s executive budget embraces our request for an expansion of the federal CCBHC Demonstration Program.  The proposal would add 26 additional Demo Clinics to the NYS CCBHC Demo Program, for a total of 39 new CCBHC Demo Clinics.  The Assembly supports this proposal in its one house bill, and then goes further by adding an additional $10M to further expand the Demo Program. The Senate embraced the proposed Demo Expansion but it did NOT propose an additional$10M to match the Assembly add-on.  We need the Senate to match the Assembly by also pledging $10M to further expand the Demo. (Proposal is located in the Aid to Localities bill in the Health section.)
2. CCBHC Indigent Care Pool: The Governor’s executive budget proposal includes a provision that would create an Indigent Care Pool for CCBHC Demo agencies.  As you may know, the CCBHC Demo PPS reimbursement methodology does not include funds for services provided to New Yorkers with no insurance coverage; however, CCBHC Demo Clinics are required to serve all eligible care recipients regardless of their ability to pay.  So, the Governor proposed the Pool, and the Assembly added an additional $10M to the proposed Pool, however the Senate did not do so.  (Proposal is in the Article VII Health/Mental Hygiene Bill, Part HH)

ADVOCACY REQUEST:Today, please make two phone calls to your Senate and Assembly representatives in Albany:  

• Call your Senator.  First, thank him/her for supporting the Gov’s proposal to expand the federal CCBHC Demo Program.  Next, respectfully request that he/she go to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and press for the Senate to match the Assembly one-house budget proposals that add additional funds to expand the Demo Program AND to create an Indigent Care Pool for these agencies.
• Call your Assemblymember.  First, thank him for supporting the Gov’s proposal to expand the CCBHC Demo Program, and for the Assembly adding additional funds to the Gov’s proposal (in the Assembly one-house budget bill) to increase the expansion, and to create an Indigent Care Pool for CCBHC agencies.  Please ask your Assembly representative to hold the line on these proposals and ensure they are part of the final state budget agreement.

Thank you!!!