Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Health Committee Chair Richard Gottfried announced today that the Assembly’s SFY 2017-18 budget proposal invests more than $79 billion in the state’s public health systems and increases funding to combat heroin and opioid addiction. The plan also includes numerous funding restorations to promote the accessibility and affordability of care across the state.

“The Assembly Majority is committed to funding a public health system that meets the needs of our families and communities,” said Heastie. “This spending plan makes the critical capital investments we need to give New Yorkers access to affordable, quality health services.”

Assemblymember Richard Gottfried said “Health care is a human right and the Assembly Majority is committed to providing high-quality, accessible care throughout the state. The Assembly one-House proposal protects and strengthens access to care for all New Yorkers, including the most vulnerable populations now targeted by the administration in Washington.”

In recognition of the essential role of community-based healthcare services, the Assembly budget restores more than $35 million in funding for 39 public health programs that were slated for consolidation and cuts in the Executive budget, among them:

• Evidence-Based Cancer Services;
• Obesity and Diabetes Consolidation;
• Healthy Neighborhoods;
• Childhood Asthma Coalitions;
• Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (APPS);
• School-Based Health Services;
• Maternity and Early Childhood Foundation;
• Sickle Cell; and
• Rural Health Care Access Development.

The spending plan would earmark $700 million in capital funding for the state’s health care providers, which includes an additional $200 million above the executive proposal for health care transformation funding. Also included is an additional $95 million for community based providers, bringing their total capital support to $125 million. The Assembly provides a $20 million contingency appropriation to support family planning services and Planned Parenthood affiliates in the event of federal funding cuts.

Seniors face some of the highest health care costs in the state and the Assembly budget would commit much needed resources to curb these expenses and preserve access to affordable long-term care. In the SFY 2017-18 proposal the Assembly restores $23.8 million in long term care reductions, which includes $11 million for nursing home bed hold payments and $10 million to maintain the right of spousal refusal.

The Assembly provides $30 million to support an expansion of heroin and opiate related programs, including treatment, recovery and peer support services. This investment will bring total spending in the Assembly proposal on heroin and opiate services to $243.48 million. The plan also includes $10 million in capital funding to support residential bed and opioid treatment program development. Remaining funds will be dedicated to the support of peer engagement programs, family support navigators, recovery outreach centers, 24/7 urgent access centers, community coalitions, residential beds and opioid treatment programs.

Among other measures included in the Assembly budget:

• a new $10 million investment for children’s behavioral health service development;
• Provisions to improve insurance collections for covered Early Intervention services;
• Restoration of $5 million in cost of living adjustments for the Department of Health;
• $500,000 for water testing to be performed by DOH under a statewide water quality initiative;
• Improving harm reduction policies through a proposal to decriminalize syringe possession and increase access to clean syringes; and
• Measures to ensure adequate reimbursements under Managed Long Term Care plans and sufficient wages for employees of these providers.