Advocacy News

Record Setting Rainfall Across The Capital Region

Communities across the Capital Region began cleaning up Thursdayafter record-setting rainfall flooded roads and homes, prompted water rescues and emergency declarations, and caused a 100-year-old mill to collapse.The daily rainfall total at Albany reached 5.45 inches Wednesday, making it the second-wettest day on record. The highest daily total remains 5.6 inches, recorded during Tropical Storm Floyd in 1999.

Fire departments, police agencies and emergency dispatchers reported unusually high call volumes as flooding spread across the region.

The NYS Department Of Health Announces Six-Month Medicaid Change Of Ownership (CHOW) Moratorium

The NYS Department of Health (DOH) has announced a temporary six-month moratorium on Medicaid enrollments and changes of ownership (CHOWs) for several categories of Medicaid providers, including Licensed Home Care Services Agencies (LHCSAs). The announcement was made by Medicaid Director Amir Bassiri during a United Hospital Fund seminar on July 30, 2026, and was subsequently reported by POLITICO Pro.

What the Moratorium Covers

The moratorium applies to Medicaid enrollment and ownership changes involving the following provider types:

The moratorium applies to Medicaid enrollment and ownership changes involving the following provider types:

• Licensed Home Care Services Agencies (LHCSAs)
• Adult Day Health Care programs
• Durable Medical Equipment (DME) suppliers
• Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) providers
• Clinical laboratories
• Pharmacies

According to DOH, these provider categories were selected because they align with federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) areas of heightened program integrity oversight and represent sectors with either high Medicaid expenditures or a large number of enrolled providers.

Impact on Pending and Future Transactions

The moratorium does not affect providers that are already enrolled in the Medicaid program. However, organizations with pending enrollment applications—including those pursuing a change of ownership that requires Medicaid enrollment approval—will have their applications placed on hold until the moratorium expires.

Medicaid Director Bassiri stated that applicants already in the approval pipeline "will be waiting until the end of the moratorium."

For providers contemplating acquisitions, mergers, or other ownership restructurings, the announcement effectively pauses Medicaid approval of many transactions involving affected provider types.

Why DOH Is Imposing the Moratorium

DOH indicated the moratorium is intended to provide time to:

• Transition from the current paper-based Medicaid enrollment process to a new electronic Provider Services Portal.
• Implement new federal Medicaid provider screening and revalidation requirements after the Trump Administration directed states to develop two-year provider revalidation plans.
• Modernize provider enrollment and oversight before processing additional applications.

Expected Duration

The Department anticipates the moratorium will remain in effect for at least six months. Bassiri indicated he does not currently expect the moratorium to be extended beyond that period.

Implications for Home Care Provider

The moratorium could have significant business implications:

• Delays in completing acquisitions and ownership transfers requiring Medicaid approval.
• Potential postponement of investment transactions and corporate restructurings.
• Extended closing timelines for buyers and sellers.
• Greater uncertainty for organizations with pending CHOW applications awaiting DOH action.

Providers already operating under an approved Medicaid enrollment are not impacted in their day-to-day operations, but organizations engaged in active transaction planning should expect Medicaid approval timelines to extend by at least six months.

Looking Ahead

DOH has characterized the moratorium as a temporary administrative measure rather than a permanent policy change. Once the Provider Services Portal is operational and the Department has implemented new federal enrollment and revalidation requirements, Medicaid enrollment processing—including CHOW-related approvals—is expected to resume.

For providers considering acquisitions or ownership changes, careful planning around transaction timing and regulatory approvals will be critical until the moratorium is lifted.

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Photo: Austin C. Jefferson

Speaker Heastie Wants More Attention Paid To The Imbalanced Budget Process

As state budget talks drag into a fourth week, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie made a point to tell reporters he isn’t frustrated with Governor Hochul. But he did express weariness with the rules she’s playing by as he echoed renewed calls from some of his members for a more even playing field in the negotiations.

Under the state constitution and a series of court decisions jointly referred to as Silver v. Pataki, the governor in New York holds immense power in the budgeting process. The executive-heavy process leaves the state Legislature with little negotiating leverage or statutory authority as governors have increasingly used their influence to get both spending and policy priorities jammed through.

Since becoming governor, Governor Hochul has effectively held the spending plan hostage for long periods past the April 1 deadline every year in order to get what she wants. “My relationship with the governor is tremendous – there's no issues,” Speaker Heastie assured reporters on Wednesday in the state Capitol. “She's just using the tools that you know have been used by previous governors.”

It’s not Governor Hochul, according to Speaker Heastie. It’s the process. And in an ideal world, that process would change. “Do I support a change in the budgetary powers?” he said. “Yes, personally, I do.”

The idea of passing a constitutional amendment in order to even the playing field during the budget process is hardly a new one. But the conversation has sprung to life again this year now that state leaders and legislators have found themselves at the end of April with a deal still elusive.

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April 5, 2026

Budget Extender Bill Introduced

Final budget negotiations between the Governor and Legislature have stalled due to disputes over enacting the Governor's proposed auto insurance reforms, delaying implementation of the State's Climate law for emission reduction, or increasing taxes on high earners.  As a result, Governor Hochul sent a Budget Exender(attached--Program Bill #25 - Provides for emergency appropriation for the period through April 14, 2026.) to the Legislature this evening, a budget extender providing emergency appropriations to continue government spending until April 14th.

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Happy Easter and Passover from all of us at Reid, McNally & Savage!

Budget Update

The FY 2027 budget was due April 1^st, and the first budget extender has been passed. The extender expires on Tuesday, April 7^th at which time another extender will need to be passed if a budget agreement is not reached, something that at this point is highly unlikely with the holidays and members having left Albany on Wednesday. 

According to press reports none of the big-ticket budget items are close to being resolved.  Some progress has been made on some of the less significant items in state budget talks, according to Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins.  

One of the top sticking points in state budget talks remains Governor Hochul’s proposed amendments to New York’s mandates to reduce carbon emissions. She wants to move the deadline to 2030 for the state to promulgate regulations to rapidly reduce emissions, set a new emissions reduction mandate for 2040 and change how the state measures its progress toward those mandates.

“We still don’t think we have full language from the governor of what she’s actually proposing,” Krueger said Tuesday. “I wish I could tell you there was a specific proposal in writing to share with everyone. But we don’t have one.” Without that language, there’s been no progress in discussions over potential amendments to those mandates.

Another of the sticking points in budget talks is Governor Hochul’s package of proposals intended to lower the cost of car insurance. She is proposing a handful of changes intended to lower costs for car insurance companies, who she’s said would pass those savings on to consumers.  Several Democrats in the state Legislature aren’t convinced that costs would decrease for drivers if they approve Hochul’s proposals as they’re written, or at all.

Another of the key issues in the New York state budget is centered on proposed tax hikes in the one-house budgets. Democrats in the Assembly and Senate have included varying ideas in their budget proposals to increase taxes on people making over $5 million and proposals to raise corporate taxes on businesses with incomes of at least $5 million a year.

The conversation over how lawmakers will move forward is still up for discussion. “We really haven’t started talking about the money part,” said Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. “Our one houses express our willingness to make the uber wealthy pay a little more. We’re willing to have corporations that are doing well pay a little bit more because we’re in a time where not only are there the threats from Washington, but we have needs that we need to meet.”

State Budget Director Blake Washington when speaking with the Legislative Correspondents Association Wednesday  confirmed that Hochul was opposed to allowing New York City to raise taxes on large corporations. She’s previously said she opposes raising income taxes on high-income earners but has been less clear on corporate taxes.

“We want businesses that provide meaningful jobs to remain in the state of New York,” Washington said. “We don’t need to provide extra impetus for anybody to leave.”

During his discussion he was also asked about a push from local government groups for the state to fund any changes to New York’s public pension system. 

“No, just candidly no,” Washington said of the state footing that bill. “Because the state would have its own share to pay and I think that shared responsibility in financing public sector pension systems has been the bedrock principle since they were created in the state of New York. That won’t change.”

We will continue to keep you updated as the budget process moves forward. 

For more information please click here.

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RMS End of Week Update 3/27/2026

NYS Lawmakers Seek 15% Funding Boost For          Upstate Public Transit In NY State Budget

Earlier this week Senate Transportation Chair Jeremy Cooney, Senator Pat Fahy, Assembly Transportation Chair William Magnarelli, The New York Public Transit Association (NYPTA), and public transit agencies from across Upstate New York rallied on the Million Dollar staircase to call for a 15% funding increase for upstate public transit agencies in this year’s budget. They were joined by a coalition of legislators from across upstate New York.

“We can’t promote affordability in New York without bolstering public transit,” said Senator Cooney. “Public transit is the great equalizer, breaking down barriers to transportation, education, healthcare, and job opportunities. If we don’t ensure our upstate public transit agencies have the resources they need, we miss an opportunity to promote equity, efficiency, and fairness across our communities. A 15% increase isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity to keep all New Yorkers connected.”

“Upstate transit authorities are grappling with the same rising cost of gasoline as working families thanks to the ongoing war with Iran and other external factors,” said Senator Patricia Fahy “Here in the Capital Region, CDTA moves more than 50,000 riders every day across our communities, helping people get to work, medical appointments, and complete other daily tasks. For every dollar we invest in public transit, we generate $5 in economic return that boosts our small businesses and encourages spending in our communities. Working people in particular rely on public transportation, and during periods of energy crises, we see ridership rates and public transit utilization rise as gasoline prices break the bank. This year, a 15% STOA increase isn’t just necessary, it’s the lifeline keeping our public transit authorities afloat, and this year’s final budget must reflect that reality.”

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Urgent Action Needed: Support Early Intervention in the Final NYS Budget!

Thank you to everyone who has advocated on behalf of providers and families who depend on the NYS Early Intervention program. During our recent lobby day, NYSSLHA urged members of the NYS Senate and Assembly to make needed investments and policy changes to support babies and toddlers with disabilities and their rendering providers of Early Intervention services. 

This advocacy is making a difference! The Senate and Assembly recently released their One-House budget proposals which included the following investments to increase EI provider rates:

• The Assembly provided $18 million

• The Senate provided $13 million

Our work is not done! Final budget negotiations are taking place NOW between the Governor, Senate, and Assembly until the April 1 budget deadline. We must ensure these critical provisions remain in the final enacted budget.

Please contact your Senator, Assemblymember, and Governor Hochul and urge them to support these proposals in the final state budget.

Take Action Today: Call your Legislators and Governor Hochul

1. Call Governor Hochul’s office at 518-474-8390 and follow the prompts to speak with a representative or leave a voicemail.

2. Call your State Senator and Assemblymember: Find your Senator here and your Assemblymember here. Use the Senate and Assembly Switchboard phone numbers below to call your representatives. 

• Senate switchboard (518) 455-2800

• Assembly switchboard (518) 455-4100

Feel free to use this script and be sure to include why EI is important to you
"Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I am a constituent from [Your City/Town]. I am calling to urge [Senator/Assemblymember/Governor Hochul] to support an 8% rate increase for Early Intervention provider rates in the final budget, building on critical investments in the Senate and Assembly One House budgets. 

Please also support inclusion of language in the budget to require a review of EI rate adequacy, consistent with S1222, Rivera/ A283, Paulin, as well as an EI Loan repayment program to attract new providers to underserved areas of the state, consistent with A1974, Paulin/S8290, Ryan. These provisions are critical to ensuring babies and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities receive timely services. Please prioritize this in the final state budget. Thank you!"

Thank you for your advocacy and commitment! Your voice is crucial in ensuring that New York’s youngest children get the services they need.

RMS End of Week Update 3/06/2026

Budget Update 

Late last week the Governor, Senate, and Assembly reached a consensus on revenue estimates from all parties for FY 2026 and projections for FY 2027. There was  significant variance, but they reached consensus on a two-year revenue total range that is $700 million to $800 million above the Executive Budget estimate. To view the full Consensus Report please click here.

The next step is the release of the one house budgets. The Senate and Assembly Democrats are currently compiling their one-house budgets, which are their rebuttal spending plans to Governor Hochul’s executive budget proposal released in January. Press reports have noted at least one thing that lawmakers expect to include in their one-house budgets in both chambers, income tax hikes for high-income earners. Democrats in both chambers have included this type of proposal in their one-house budgets for the last several years. 

State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins confirmed Wednesday that their one-house budget proposal will include revenue raisers but didn’t say if that would extend beyond income tax hikes. “In general, we have always believed in this progressive tax structure,” she said. “We’ve always put forth ways that we can meet the needs of New Yorkers.”

We expect the one house budget proposals will be released and passed next week. After which the Senate and Assembly will meet for the General Budget Conference Committee meeting that is required by law. Leaders from both conferences in each chamber hold a public meeting in a hearing room in the Legislative Office Building to provide an update on where the state budget stands. Because negotiations haven’t really begun, there’s not much for them to say but it is typically held the Monday after the week the one house budgets are passed. 

We will keep you updated as to when the one house budgets are released and what is in them as the budget process continues. 

For more information please click here.

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Health/ Medicaid NYS Joint Budget Hearing

The state budget joint hearing on Health/Medicaid took place this week during which New York lawmakers spent nearly 10 hours listening to state health officials and advocates from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, The Community Pharmacy Association of NYS,  and many others lay out their fiscal requests as they shape their budget proposals set to be released next month.

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