[NYAPRS Enews] I Can't Sleep: Act Now!

Wed Mar 25 16:07:25 EDT 2020

NYAPRS Note: A powerful message and action drive from our friends at the New York Legal Assistance Group: Please act now!

[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/c02ae2a10914727045a8ebfd3/images/214eec2e-ac9e-4e75-bb93-46910c9b6126.png]<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/CwobCzpAKzCM4Qjfgq0sr>

View this email in your browser<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/Z2jsCADrPlSNELDFYQ8tY>

Hi all,

I've been having a really difficult time sleeping the last few nights.  Between the coronavirus and potential Medicaid cuts in New York, I am really worried about the health of our seniors, loved ones with disabilities, and even children.

I am not exaggerating when I say that their life depends on Medicaid-funded health services. The Medicaid cuts proposed by the Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) II will affect cancer survivors, trauma survivors, grandparents battling Alzheimer's disease, and those living with multiple chronic illnesses. <https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/81qSCBBvLmi78pLtWVKkB>

That is why I am asking for your help: The New York State budget will be settled THIS WEEK! Tell Governor Cuomo and your NYS legislators to REJECT Medicaid Cuts for the most vulnerable New Yorkers. (Please email and do not call as their physical offices are closed.)

E-mail Gov. Cuomo<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/YaORCDkx9oh53N8SkmUUl>

E-mail Your Representative <https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/rf0OCERy9pC3pVZiBiuDA>

If you want more information on why the current MRT Medicaid proposals are harmful, click here<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/0kUjCG6A5ri1AKzSYNqcY>, including the five proposals below.

Cuts in Financial Eligibility -

  1.  Eliminating "spousal refusal" or "parental refusal" for children with severe disabilities - with New York's Medicaid income limit below the Federal Poverty Level, a spouse's or parent's income and savings are needed to meet living expenses. Counties can and do sue some "refusing" spouses or parents for support - if they have the means to pay, they do. But banning Medicaid for all will throw out the baby with the bathwater.
  2.  Establishing a five year lookback for home and community-based eligibility will impose huge delays for receiving critical services that prevent accidents, avoidable injuries and unnecessary institutionalization.  The burden of producing 5 years of financial records - and for the Medicaid agency to review them - hurts the vast majority of applicants who never had any assets to transfer.  And with the income and asset limits so low, some people transfer modest funds to family, on whom they rely to support them using the transferred funds.
  3.  Slashing the Spousal Impoverishment Resource Allowance to the minimum allowed by the federal government - from  $74,820 to only $25,728.   As it is, New York's resource allowance has not kept up with inflation because it does not include a cost of living index, unlike many other states.  To reduce it will leave couples without resources to meet expenses, and put them at risk of losing their homes.
CUTS IN ACCESS TO MEDICAID HOME CARE

  1.  Requiring two "Activities of Daily Living" (ADL) to qualify for Medicaid personal care or CDPAP  may sound benign, but as proposed, an ADL would only count if the individual needs "limited assistance," defined as physical assistance, not the supervisory "cueing" assistance typically needed by those with cognitive impairments such as dementia or traumatic brain injury.  Plus, it would eliminate "Level I" personal care known as housekeeping - a service already capped at 8 hours/week that prevents injuries for those whose disabilities make them unable chores like shopping, laundry, and meal preparation.
  2.  Imposing an additional Utilization Review for those who need 12+ Hours of Home Care to Determine if they can "Safely" Remain in the Community would use. "safety" as a pretext to deny Medicaid services for those with high needs -- violating the Olmstead decision that entitles people with disabilities to live in the community under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Below are more helpful links should you want to learn more:

Read NYLAG's Opposition to these Cuts ><https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/aPtjCJ61qxiqK3jCkpaqB>

Read Executive Summary of MRTII Proposals ><https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/xlefCKrGZyt24zRhQtgxk>

Meet the REAL PEOPLE that will be harmed by Medicaid Cuts><https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/qyHkCL9G8ztRQyzIAVdfZ>

If you prefer to help in another way, please know that even during a public health crisis, the demands for NYLAG and our EFLRP program does not end. In fact, it's more urgent than ever. If you are able to, please consider donating generously<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/XhzBCM8XQACqzMnC9sbMa>.

Thank you for your support and advocacy,

Valerie Bogart
Director, NYLAG's Evelyn Frank Legal Resources Program
[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/c02ae2a10914727045a8ebfd3/images/b879d7d8-9a8c-4dd6-ab23-c077303110f6.png]<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/0h1gCOYGyDipvzBupaPIF>

P.S.
Sign up to receive future-mail updates<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/nn9fCPNGZEiK38LCPdCDJ> from the Evelyn Frank Legal Resources Program and read our past updates here<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/PgG7CQWX0GskoMwSYCHmi>.

Donate Now<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/ONBLCR6XoJiv5j3tLPy9y>

Get Help<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/r3X-CVOWPjSxgNpHjVeLF>

[Share]<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/iuH7CW6170i5DRnSl7Am7>
Share<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/0ZnvCXDPolSXOVLh27ORy>
[Tweet]<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/vPxPCYEZvmTLAEyTlFOWc>
Tweet<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/Q47ZCZ6gVni5QrWSk12jS>
[Forward]<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/EF94C1wMrNcMq2QfM1Bn7>
Forward<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/EF94C1wMrNcMq2QfM1Bn7>
[Facebook]<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/GcnsC2kXvNhp8PDuqQOrA>
[Twitter]<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/JvXiC3132Xcp26ruXsbG4>
[Link]<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/oBVnC4x2R3HBlMwT6GlnM>
[Website]<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/0sBpC5yM94uZ65rTp6YXG>

[https://gallery.mailchimp.com/c02ae2a10914727045a8ebfd3/images/c4c64d87-8c69-4dd3-9ad1-102e03107c18.png]<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/pmD3C73ML0tAZ4BHJ6a8B>

Our mailing address is:
New York Legal Assistance Group
7 Hanover Sq Fl 18
New York, NY 10004-4027

Add us to your address book<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/wGYtC82g6Nf6YDyI3dErh>

.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://kilakwa.net/pipermail/nyaprs_kilakwa.net/attachments/20200325/1ede7ca6/attachment.html>