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SenateMajorityLeaderJoseph
L.
BrunoNewYorkStateSenate909LegislativeOfficeBuildingAlbany,NY12247
GF
-1
5
GOVERNMENT
EXHIBIT
DearMajorityLeaderBruno:
r
wantto
start
bythankingyouforallyourhelpinprotectinghealthcareservicesintherecentbudgetnegotiations.BoththefinalMedicaidrestorationsandtherestorationsandcontinuationoftheHealthcareReformAct
(HCRA)
willhelpstabilizethefinancialsituation
of
ourState'shealthcarecommunity.Withoutyourstrongsupport,providers,healthcareworkers,andthepatientsweservewouldhavefacedadevastatingreductioninthequality
of
care.Iamrequestingyoursupporttoincreasetheannualhomecaredemonstrationallocation
to
$42millioninstatefundsthroughthelifeoftherecentlyenacted
HeRA
legislationtocontinuethesupportforthisprogram.Asthe2003LegislativeSessioncomestoaclose,Iwouldliketoaskforyoursupportforameasurethatiscrucialtothousands
of
1199SEIUhomecareworkers.Currently,the
HCRA
financingsystemprovides$28millionperyear(instatefunds)forademonstrationprogramtohelpprovideaffordablehealthcaretohomecareworkers.50far,theprogramhasbeenverysuccessfulinmeetingitstwingoals
of
improvingtheefficiencyofhealthcaredeliverytotheworkers,bySignificantlyreducingemergencyroom
Visits,
andinencouragingworkerstostayinthehomecaredeliverysystembyofferingaffordablehealthcarecoverage.Whilewehaverunaveryeconomicaloperation,thecurrentallocationis
just
notenoughtosupporttheprogramgiventhatthenumberofparticipantsandcostofourbenefitsbothcontinuetorise.Urgentactionisneededonthismattersincethe1199SEIUBenefitFund,whichisoperatingtheprogram,willrunoutofdemonstrationfundingbyJune.Withoutadditionalrevenue,ourFundwillbeforcedtoendcoveragefordependentsandtakestepstorestricteligibility,forcingmanychildrenandspousesontoothergovernmentprograms,anddramatically
i n c r e a s i n ~ t h e
cost
of
healthcarecoveragefortheworkers.
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