Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 11:20:05 -0500 From: David B. O'Donnell To: Multiple recipients of list GLB-NEWS Subject: NY: AIDS ACTION ALERT [ Send all responses to kmcgr6025@AOL.COM only. Any responses to the list or list-owners will be returned to you. ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ACTION ALERT * ACTION ALERT * ACTION ALERT * ACTION ALERT * ACTION ALERT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ HOUSING WORKS S T A T E W I D E A I D S A C T I O N A L E R T NEW YORK STATE DIVISION OF THE BUDGET PROPOSES ELIMINATION OF AIDS DAY TREATMENT AND AIDS CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS Housing Works has learned from reliable sources within the Pataki Administration that the Division of the Budget has developed proposals to completely eliminate AIDS adult day treatment programs and AIDS community follow-up case management programs from next years' budget. These proposals are among a larger group of Medicaid cuts being proposed by Budget, separate from the Medicaid cuts being proposed by the Medicaid Task Force, headed by Lieutenant Governor McCaughey. According to a source within the Division of the Budget, the proposals to eliminate these two programs were developed by Assistant Chief Budget Examiner Rosina Mulligan. The proposals are now under discussion with senior members of the Pataki staff for possible inclusion in the final budget package, to be released February 1. If approved, these proposals would mean the elimination of 40 case management programs around New York State, that are now serving 3,600 people living with AIDS and HIV and as many as 7,000 of their family members. Also eliminated would be three existing day treatment programs and 10 programs that have gotten their licenses and were to begin operation in the next budget year. The day programs offer a total of about 1,500 program slots for people living with AIDS and HIV who would otherwise need institutional care. IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED Immediate action is required to preserve these two programs. The case management programs can be eliminated without the approval of the State Legislature. To implement this cut, the State would simply have to amend its Medicaid plan. The new day programs can be killed by simply preventing them from obtaining their capital financing. The only way to save these programs is to make certain that the Division of the Budget's proposals for their elimination are not a part of the budget package when it is released by the Governor. Already, the Division of the Budget has blocked final capital financing approval at the Public Authorities Control Board for six of the day treatment programs. Initially, officials were stating that these projects were being delayed without prejudice to allow time for the new Governor's review. In fact, advocates for these programs were encouraged by a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Betsy McCaughey, who clearly understood the role these programs play in ensuring coordinated health care for people living with AIDS and HIV, particularly people who are chemically dependent, chronically mentally ill, or without community support systems. Unfortunately, the Lieutenant Governor many not end up with the last word as Budget looks for short term savings irrespective of long term cost. Community case management is being attacked as duplicative of case management built into AIDS designated centers, home care, and day treatment rates. This argument ignores the much wider scope of service afforded in the CFP rate, but doesn't seem to matter much to some of the folk who are making the decisions and crunching the numbers. Again, it's short term savings irrespective of long term cost. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO SAVE THESE PROGRAMS The AIDS Day Services Association is already organizing an aggressive education campaign, focused both on people in the Pataki Administration and the Senate majority. We need to expand this campaign to include the entire legislature so that our elected representatives can voice their concerns to the Pataki Administration. We also need to make the Division of the Budget directly aware of our concerns. If you would like to be part of an organized advocacy presence in Albany during the next two weeks, please call us right away. We would particularly appreciate it if one person would take responsibility for organizing and coordinating different groups. People who should be called to express your concerns include: Governor George Pataki...................518-474-8390 Patricia Woodworth, Director, DOB........518-474-2300 Buzz Gosch, Deputy Director, DOB.........518-473-3885 Rosina Mulligan, Asst. Chief Budget Examiner, DOB....................518-474-7570 Sen. Joseph Bruno, Senate Majority Leader...........518-455-3191 Sen. Ronald Stafford, Chair, Senate Finance Committee..518-455-2811 Sen. Kemp Hannon, Chair, Senate Health Committee...518-455-2200 If you would like more information or would like to participate in a coordinated effort to save these vital programs, call Charles King at 212-966-0466, ext. 269. Housing Works, Inc. * 594 Broadway * Suite 700 * New York, NY 10012 Phone 212-966-0466 / Fax 212-966-0869 ======================================================================== [end of faxed message] Be On Alert : We also don't know any of Pataki's positions on AIDS funding in general. Neither Governor Pataki, nor members of his administration have referred AIDS at all.