skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, February 7, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Judge pauses deadline for federal workers to accept Trump's resignation offer; CA state lawmakers take action to enact safeguards against federal immigration enforcement; Study shows air quality disparities from industrial ag in NC.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Advocates for People with Disabilities Urge Repeal of Medicaid Cap

play audio
Play

Friday, March 19, 2021   

NEW YORK - Advocates for people with disabilities say the cap New York put on Medicaid spending in 2011 doesn't keep pace with growing health-care needs and they're urging lawmakers to finally repeal it.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's 2021 to 2022 budget proposal calls for extending the Medicaid cap for two more years.

But according to Heidi Siegfried - director of health policy at the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York - the cap is arbitrary, unrelated to growth in Medicaid enrollment, and unresponsive to medical needs.

"It's really affected people with disabilities," said Siegfried, "who rely on long-term home care in particular to stay out of nursing facilities and to get the services they need to remain in their home."

She said lawmakers in both the state Assembly and Senate have introduced legislation to repeal the Global Medicaid Cap.

With the pandemic, Medicaid enrollment in New York has increased by more than 700,000 in the past year. And Siegfried noted that last year Cuomo wanted to limit eligibility for home care under the program.

"Even before the increase in enrollment," said Siegfried, "we saw that the services that we rely upon are the services that are really being targeted for cuts. And it was driven by the Medicaid global spending cap."

The cap also allows the state's Division of the Budget to unilaterally cut the Medicaid budget in mid-year without legislative oversight to keep spending under the cap.

Siegfried pointed out that the federal government generally picks up about half of Medicaid costs in the state, and during the pandemic that has been increased.

"And in the most recent relief bill that was signed by President Biden," said Siegfried, "they put an additional increase for Medicaid if the state would spend it to improve home and community-based services."

She added that, with few exceptions, home care is less expensive than forcing people into long-term care facilities.



Disclosure: Center for Independence of the Disabled New York contributes to our fund for reporting on Disabilities. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Opponents of a South Dakota bill that would require the Ten Commandments be posted in all public school classrooms say it would be an unfunded mandate. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A South Dakota House committee takes up a controversial bill today that would require all school districts in the state to display the Ten Commandment…


play sound

Virginia ranks third behind only Maryland and Delaware among the worst states for the average amount of back wages companies owe to their workers…

Environment

play sound

Some North Dakota school districts are part of a movement that has embraced electric school buses, but the federal funding shakeup carried out by the …


Florida immigrant advocacy groups are intensifying efforts to help undocumented individuals navigate encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. (David Peinado/Pexels)

Social Issues

play sound

Immigrant advocates in Florida are ramping up efforts to help families navigate President Donald Trump's new immigration orders, which have increased …

Social Issues

play sound

The rate of U.S. high school seniors seeking higher education is on the upswing, according to research from Lumina Foundation. Although Hoosier …

Gov. Kathy Hochul's free community college proposal would apply to people pursuing first-time associate degrees for jobs in high-demand fields, including nursing, teaching, technology and engineering. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

New York State is making historic higher education investments. As part of the 2026 budget proposal, Gov. Kathy Hochul proposes free community …

Social Issues

play sound

Gov. Josh Shapiro's proposed state budget includes a significant increase for public education to address Pennsylvania's school funding issues and …

Social Issues

play sound

Alabama nonprofits are coming together to tackle challenges that may threaten their survival, from declining donor support to shifting federal …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021