January 20, 2006
NYStateWatch:
A BETTER BUDGET
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PATAKI: Not a bad budget |
New York Governor George Pataki released his FY06-07 state budget proposal in Albany on Tuesday, and it's better than he's ever done before on HIV/AIDS.
Pataki's budget would baseline over $8 million in funding for front-line efforts to fight AIDS and help people living with HIV/AIDS, including treatment adherence, permanency planning, operating support for AIDS housing and targeted funding for communities of color. In prior years, Pataki proposed elimination of these legislative initiatives, and advocates had to fight to restore funding cuts before starting to deal with new and growing needs.
"On health, social services and antipoverty issues, this year's budget proposal is better than most previous Pataki budgets," said Housing Works legislative counsel Michael Kink. "The governor has taken steps to strengthen New York's fight against HIV/AIDS and to solidify some of the advances our state has made against the disease in the past decade. We look forward to working with the Legislature and the governor to make improvements and get New York a final budget that saves lives and protects public health."
Pataki included a three-year cost-of-living adjustment for staff at AIDS adult day health care programs, whose Medicaid rates have been frozen for most of the past decade. Housing Works and other advocates will be working to build on that adjustment to make sure that these programs—which serve the most vulnerable New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS—remain viable.
The governor and Legislature could find resources to help the neediest by trimming some of the billions in new tax cuts Pataki proposed for the very wealthy and for profitable corporations. And they should find enough compassion to reject "full family" welfare sanctions that would take survival benefits away from young children whose parents can't or won't comply with workfare requirements.
Other highlights (and lowlights) of the Pataki budget proposal:
THUMBS UP:
- Secures over $8 million in funding for front-line efforts in the fight against AIDS (baselines "legislative adds" including treatment adherence, permanency planning and funding to fight AIDS in communities of color previously cut by Pataki)
- Maintains funding for the Homeless Housing Assistance Program at $30 million with a $5 million set-aside for AIDS housing
- Extends the Preferred Drug List to bring down the high cost of prescription drugs in Medicaid and other public programs. We'd like to see AIDS drugs added to the list so New York can help lead cost-reduction efforts on AIDS drugs nationwide.
- Focuses efforts to fight Medicaid fraud and get resources where they're doing the most good. The vast majority of Medicaid fraud simply isn't committed by poor and disabled people with Medicaid cards in their pockets—and fighting fraud should help build public support for this lifesaving program.
- Includes cost-of-living adjustment for AIDS adult day health care program staff and wrap-around state coverage for AIDS drugs in Medicare Part D.
THUMBS DOWN:
- Imposes full-family sanctions that would take survival benefits away from very young children if their parents can't or won't comply with workfare requirements
- Eliminates six-month guaranteed eligibility for Medicaid and Family Health Plus, forcing families to go on and off Medicaid even for very short periods of work, threatening treatment compliance
- Eliminates all coverage for Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs, eliminating the role of the treating physician. (This provision substitutes the opinion of the New York Post for the opinion of the family doctor. The fact is that healthy sexuality is an important part of treatment for HIV/AIDS, mental illness and other conditions — there are non-abusive uses of these medications that should be allowed.)
- Tax cuts and tax policy favors wealthy and successful businesses over working and poor New Yorkers
To get involved in Albany advocacy on these and other important issues, contact Mark Hayes at hayes@housingworks.org.