Testimony for the FY25 NYS Human Services Budget Hearing

New York State Assembly

New York State Senate

Joint Legislative Hearing

Human Services FY25 Budget
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on aging services in the proposed FY 25 budget. 

LiveOn NY’s members include more than 100 community-based nonprofits that provide core services which allow all New Yorkers to thrive in our communities as we age, including senior centers, home‐delivered meals, affordable senior housing, elder abuse prevention, caregiver support, NORCs, and case management. With our members, we work to make New York a better place to age.

As it stands, the FY25 Proposed Budget is an ageist document - as it does not meet the existing needs of older New Yorkers or the needs of the growing population of older adults. The services provided to non-medicaid eligible New Yorkers are not guaranteed due to a consistent pattern of underfunding continued this year. For New Yorkers not currently medicaid eligible, we see that in order to qualify for and receive needed services they must sacrifice what they have earned throughout their life course to self-institutionalize. There is a better way that can both improve quality of life for older New Yorkers and save Medicaid dollars.  

 We have a number of concerns that illustrate a clear lack of consideration for the millions of older adults in New York, and that fail to recognize the reality that we are aging as a state. 

Key Concerns

• Older New Yorkers were not mentioned in the budget outside of “cost-saving” measures for health services. 

• 18,000 services denied to New Yorkers due to lack of adequate funding

• Program cuts and unfunded  mandates will cost providers millions of dollars

• $9.3 million cut from home care services

• $2.5 million in cut LTCOP funding that was a legislative addition last year

• $0 for the mandated rate increase to local Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), leaving a $10 million shortfall that will necessitate local cuts to services.

• The newly approved Medicaid Waiver (1115) will not address older New Yorkers 

The State has significant fiscal reserves and provided over $6 billion in additions to many service sectors. However,  the current budget allocation for the New York State Office for the Aging is less than 0.8% of the total budget, significantly below what is required to meet the growing needs in our communities. We have the funding to create a robust service system in our state that also saves millions of dollars from our already out of control medicaid budget. 

Here is what an age-inclusive budget needs to include.

Recommendations

• $252.5 million to NYSOFA fully fund services promised in the existing system and end wait lists for the over 18,000 services denied to New Yorkers due to lack of adequate funding. Here is a list of many of the services that this funding would improve:

• $51 million to clear the existing waiting list for services

• Overall Funding Increase (minus nutrition) includes but is not limited to $35 million. 

• Invest in sustainable nutrition support - $43 million

• Invest in Aging Services network workforce - $20 million

• Expanding eligibility to younger onset Alzheimer’s and to age 50 for caregiver and respite support – $26 million

• Provide annual appropriation for technology access - $5 million

• Provide annual appropriation for Lifespan Respite Care Programs - $1 million

• Provide annual appropriation for elder abuse education and outreach - $3 million

• Provide increase funding for state SHIP Programs - $5.5 million

• Provide increase in funding for state legal assistance programs - $3 million

• Provide increase in funding for the long-term care ombudsman program - $10 million

• Provide an annual appropriation for Aging and Disability Resource Centers - $20 million

• Provide reskilling and training for older individuals who wish to return to employment - $2 million

• Recognition of the value and importance of these programs - these programs both improve quality of life AND save medicaid dollars:

•  NYSOFA programs serve individuals that would qualify for skilled nursing or assisted living care, in homes and communities for less than $10,000 per year on average for 6.5 years. 

• $51 million dollars to clear existing wait lists would translate to a $237 million dollar medicaid savings according to the Association on Aging in New York

• Consideration to ensure that the state is providing adequate funding to meet the needs of the growing older population in future years. 

• Funding must be tied to the number of older adults who would need services and grow with our state

• The state must take on a larger role in funding these programs. In NYC alone, the city provides almost double the funding the state does.

On behalf of the almost 5 million older adults and 4 million caregivers – nearly half of the population – who call New York State home, we write with ongoing and urgent concern for the blatant lack of funding for safety net aging service programs, funded through the NYS Office for Aging (NYSOFA). You have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of older adults across our state and fight for an age-inclusive budget! 

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Testimony provided by Kevin Kiprovski Director of Public Policy of LiveOn NY. For additional questions, please reach out to Kkiprovski@liveon-ny.org

LiveOn NY’s members provide the core, community-based services that allow older adults to thrive in their communities. With a base of more than 110 community-based organizations serving at least 300,000 older New Yorkers annually. Our members provide services ranging from senior centers, congregate and home-delivered meals, affordable senior housing with services, elder abuse prevention services, caregiver supports, case management, transportation, and NORCs. LiveOn NY advocates for increased funding for these vital services to improve both the solvency of the system and the overall capacity of community-based service providers.

LiveOn NY also administers a citywide outreach program and staffs a hotline that educates, screens and helps with benefit enrollment including SNAP, SCRIE and others, and also administers the Rights and Information for Senior Empowerment (RISE) program to bring critical information directly to seniors on important topics to help them age well in their communities.