October 25, 2022

As we discussed last Thursday during our weekly call, the NYS Council has worked with its’ members to compile documents supporting our NYS Council 2023 Budget Requests.  

There are 3 documents attached to this email.  Our Budget Priorities document comes straight from member input and includes results from two recent surveys administered to our members.  Also attached please find an important article re: Rate Parity, and our Outpatient Clinic Rate Reform proposal.  Feel free to use these documents as the basis for your discussions with your legislative representatives over the next few months who need to hear from us and understand our priorities, in anticipation of future state budget negotiations. 

From July to January we work feverishly to ensure inclusion of our ‘asks’ in the Governor’s Executive Budget proposal.  Requests that are NOT included in the Governor’s proposal will be our focus for advocacy with legislative leaders.

We will continue our advocacy on Council priorities that may be outside of the budget process.   This includes our  recommendation that NYS permit any eligible Outpatient Clinic provider to become a CCBHC Demo agency.  The NYS Council met with State Medicaid Director Amir Bassiri and other DoH leaders in August to discuss our request which is based on a recent CMS decision to permit Demo states to expand the number of CCBHC demo agencies in the state.

THANK YOU for beginning to schedule meetings with your legislative leaders now in anticipation of what promises to be a challenging state budget process.

As always, if you have questions please reach out at your convenience.  I’m at 518 461-8200.