SSI Increase for ACFs

Support S.4400 (Serino)

Currently, there are approximately 13,000 aging New Yorkers who rely on Congregate Care Level 3 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to pay for the services they receive in Adult Care Facilities (ACFs) and assisted living settings, at a rate of just under $41 per day per person. This reimbursement rate is roughly half of the average cost of providing ACF services, and as the minimum wage mandate is phased in, this gap will only grow. If ACFs close or cannot afford to continue to serve SSI/Medicaid-eligible seniors, more of these individuals will be placed in nursing homes at a higher cost to the State.

LeadingAge New York is urging legislators to support S.2601 (Serino), a bill that would increase the Level 3 SSI rate by at least $20 per day per resident over five years and institute an annual cost of living adjustment to the State portion of the rate thereafter. A potential funding source for this rate increase, the Health Care Transformation Fund, was created in the final 2018-19 State Budget "to support health care delivery, including for capital investment, debt retirement or restructuring, housing and other social determinants of health, or transitional operating support to health care providers."

Enter your information to contact your lawmakers, urging them to support this important legislation! You can also access LeadingAge NY's memo of support here.

Enter your information below to contact your lawmakers via email and/or Twitter.

Subject:

Please Support S.4400 (Serino) to Provide an Increase to SSI

Dear Official,

I am writing to ask you to support S.4400 (Serino), legislation that would increase the State portion of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Congregate Care Level 3 rate by $20 per day per resident over five years. An increase is needed to enable adult care facilities (ACFs) to continue to care for SSI recipients.

The current SSI rate for ACF residents is just under $41 per day, which is roughly half of the average cost of providing ACF services. These services include personal care, case management, meals, assistance with medications, activities, housekeeping, maintenance, and more. While the cost of providing care has gone up for many reasons, both in the marketplace and as a result of policy, there has been no commensurate increase in the State supplement to SSI payments. It has been 12 years since there has been an increase in the SSI State supplement, and before that, it was 17 years. Such infrequent, unpredictable increases have made it extremely difficult to afford to serve SSI recipients.

If ACFs close or can no longer afford to serve SSI recipients, those individuals who could be served in an ACF are likely to go to a nursing home unnecessarily, and at a great cost to the State’s Medicaid program. Clearly, it is less expensive to the State, and more consistent with the goals of the State and federal government, to prevent unnecessary institutionalization.

For these reasons, I urge you to support S.4400 (Serino) and work with your colleagues to provide a long over-due increase to the SSI rate.

Sincerely, Your Name

Send me emails about this campaign

Thank you for taking action. Now, share with your friends!