*Update* Center for Disabilities response to the Executive’s proposed Defecit Reduction Plan (DRP)

We’re all getting used to budget cuts. It used to only happen around budget season, but with the state and national economies in the tank, Governor Paterson has realized that the only thing he can do to boost his plummeting ratings is to talk tough about ‘making hard decisions’ and ‘cutting spending.’

Ok, I get all that. Money is tight and states should not make a habit of spending more than is needed. We’ve been suggesting areas where the state could reduce its spending for years, but none of the political “leaders” would make those tough decisions because the economy was solid and the leaders could keep spending on pet projects to keep their donors happy.

Times have changed. The money train has slowed down. Hard decisions do need to be made. But making decisions implies using good information to come to an informed conclusion about how to do the best we can in a bad situation. I’m not so sure that this is what Albany is really going for.

Last week, the Senate Republicans offered their suggestions for how to fix New York’s budget deficit. Among the numerous proposals to cut the usual suspects was one that promises to be particularly devastating to people with disabilities and seniors across New York. The Senate Republicans proposed to ELIMINATE all of the “optional” Medicaid programs offered in New York. We’re not talking about reducing or cutting back here; nope, the Senate Republicans are out to eliminate vital services for tens of thousands of New Yorkers.

The rhetoric of Senator Dean Skelos’ press release last week was echoed yesterday by Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (Ontario County) during the webcast of the “Leaders Meeting” with the Governor.

Let’s take a second to look at a couple of those “optional” services.

1. Prescription drugs
2. Personal Care
   (there are 18 others)

The effects of #1 are pretty straightforward. The Republican plan is for the state to stop covering the cost of prescription drugs for the low income seniors and people with disabilities who depend on Medicaid. Everyone on Medicaid, all of whom are poor by definition, would have to find a new way to pay the exorbitant costs that the state doesn’t want to bear. This at the same time that the Governor [and Republicans?] are proposing cutting SSI for many of these same people.

There’s simply no way many of the people affected would be able to afford their medications without Medicaid. So, what happens to these people under the Republican plan? They don’t get their meds, they get sicker, many are in pain, many die.

#2 is only slightly more complicated. Personal care is the service used by thousands of seniors and people with disabilities who need hands on assistance for daily tasks like bathing, dressing and eating. There’s no way that the affected population will be able to afford to private pay for such assistance, so again we see that under the Senate Republican proposal, people don’t get vital services, their health declines and they either die or end up in nursing facilities. Nursing facilities have been demonstrated time after time to be more costly than personal care, so maybe the cost savings that the Senate Republicans are anticipating is in the shortened life spans of those who don’t end up in nursing facilities? A modest proposal, indeed.

It just so happens that myself, and most of the people employed by and served by the Center for Disability Rights live in districts currently represented by Republican Senators. So, let’s call the question…

Senator Michael Nozzolio: Do you support the Republican plan to eliminate personal care, prescription drugs and all other Medicaid optional services?

Senator George Maziarz: Do you support the Republican plan to eliminate personal care, prescription drugs and all other Medicaid optional services?

Senator Jim Alesi: Do you support the Republican plan to eliminate personal care, prescription drugs and all other Medicaid optional services?

Senator Joe Robach: Do you support the Republican plan to eliminate personal care, prescription drugs and all other Medicaid optional services?

CDR will be putting these questions to our Senators in the next few days. The answers will be posted here so everyone will know who supports plans to force seniors and people with disabilities to go without needed medications and to be forced into nursing facilities.