New York State Rethinks Medicaid
Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal published an article titled “New York State Rethinks Medicaid: Seeks to Relocate Thousands of Patients.” It opens with the statement:
“To bring down its soaring Medicaid budget, New York State wants to move thousands of low-income patients from hospitals, homeless shelters, group homes and nursing facilities into apartments.”
As a member of the State’s Medicaid Redesign Team’s housing committee, I am thrilled with this planned new policy—it is what we advocated for and what Governor Cuomo accepted as sound public policy.
At its core, this plan embraces 25 years of experience and numerous studies that demonstrate the cost effectiveness of housing as the solution for people who have been formerly homeless and institutionalized. Providing people with a stable home reduces medical emergencies and improves a person’s overall health.
In fact, it’s old news: in New York State over 43,000 units of supportive housing for people with disabilities have been developed since 1990 in almost every town and neighborhood. Community Access was a pioneer in this field, developing 1,100 units of supportive housing, often combining low-income families from the community and individuals living with psychiatric disabilities, in 20 buildings across New York City.
We plan to invest in several more supportive projects in the next five years to stop the cycle of homelessness and institutionalization. Some people fear integrating people with mental illness into the community, but we have a proven track record that shows it works. And Community Access continues to innovate. In January we opened New York’s first psychiatric crisis diversion program (our crisis respite center), designed to provide an alternative treatment option for people who would otherwise find themselves in an emergency room or inpatient ward.
By continuing to provide lower-cost options for people with mental illness that reduce the need for hospitalization, Community Access is making smart choices in New York. We are committed to giving people opportunities to rebuild their lives and become more engaged in their communities. Even after 34 years on the job, I am gratified each day when hearing from tenants and program participants who tell me they found something that helped them grow and take more responsibility, whether it’s adopting a pet, engaging in a workshop or computer class, or joining our Participant Planning and Advisory Group to speak up about what is needed to make our programs even better.
Thank you for sharing this journey with me, and for your support of Community Access. We’re changing lives every day.
