Emily Keller-O'Donnell, Journalist

Health Foundation Releases Dual Eligibility Report

    The New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) has released a report about the 700,000 people in the state who are enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare, with the goal of improving the coordination and integration of care.

    Mathematica Policy Research completed the report that was funded by NYSHealth and titled, “Integrating Care for Dual Eligibles in New York: Issues and Options.”

Gov. Cuomo Releases 2012-13 Budget

    Advocates for people with disabilities are having mixed reactions to the New York State Executive Budget for 2012-13, released by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on January 17th.

    The Center for Disability Rights, Inc. (CDR) issued a statement supporting the budget’s proposed reinvestment of Medicaid savings from hospital and nursing home closures or bed de-certifications toward housing but specified that the funds should support inclusive housing.

House of Representatives Votes Against CLASS Act

    The U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal the Community Living Assistance Service and Support (CLASS) Act but the bill remains in limbo. 

    The CLASS Act, a long-term care insurance program that is part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, was intended to provide payment assistance for people who develop physical disabilities to live independently.

Outer Borough Taxi Plan with Accessible Medallions On Hold

    Legislation to allow livery cabs to pick up street hails in the outer boroughs and increase the number of accessible medallions has been stalled.

     The legislation was passed in June but Governor Andrew Cuomo said he will not sign the bill until several issues have been resolved, including wheelchair accessibility.

Senator Harkin Holds Transportation Accessibility Hearing

    U.S. Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, who introduced the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), is weighing in on the accessible taxi debate in New York City.

    Harkin held a hearing called “The Americans with Disabilities Act and Accessible Transportation: Challenges and Opportunities” November 17^th to reflect on recent developments including a class action discrimination lawsuit by the Taxis For All Campaign against the City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC).

    The Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee sponsored the hearing where experts in the field were invited to speak.

New York State Suspends Care Workers

    Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office has suspended 120 New York State workers who serve people with developmental disabilities due to allegations of neglect and abuse of people under their care.

    The employees, who work at residential facilities contracted through the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), are being investigated for possible termination and potential criminal charges, according to news reports. Their pay has been suspended pending results of the investigation.

Advocates Sue City Over Emergency Preparedness

    Disability Rights Advocates has filed a discrimination lawsuit against Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City of New York, charging them with failing to include people with disabilities in emergency planning.

    The lawsuit filed in Federal District Court in the Southern District of New York reflects on both Tropical Storm Irene and the 9/11 attacks. As the storm approached the city as a Category 1 hurricane, advocates say city officials’ televised announcements did not include sign language interpreters, evacuation maps were not usable to people with low vision and school buses that were used for evacuations did not contain lifts or seating areas for people with mobility disabilities.

Employment Remains Stagnant for People with Disabilities

    One million Americans with disabilities are looking for a job and can’t find one according to new data from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

    Statistics show that the unemployment rate for people with disabilities increased slightly from August 2010 to August 2011 but declined for people without a disability. The total unemployment rate for people with disabilities is now nearly double that of the nondisabled population, according to the DOL data.

Gov. Cuomo Questions Nonprofits on Executive Pay

    Governor Andrew Cuomo has formed a task force to seek data from nonprofits on the compensation they provide to executives and board members.

    The Governor’s Task Force on Not-For-Profit Entities is requesting information on executive pay, the reasons the organizations consider themselves nonprofits and whether the boards believe that any of the executive compensation should be recouped.

    Benjamin Lawsky, superintendent of the Department of Financial Services, is the chair of the task force. “Our task force is conducting a top-to-bottom review, not only to audit current compensation levels, but also make recommendations for future rules to ensure taxpayer dollars are used to serve and support the people of this state, not pay for excessive salaries and compensation,” Lawsky wrote in a letter to nonprofits dated August 25.

Paterson and Blind Foundation Advocate for Fair Wages

    Former Gov. David Paterson and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) are calling for the removal of a clause in the federal Workforce Investment Act that would allow employers to pay people with disabilities a subminimum wage for job training.

    The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP Committee) was scheduled to vote on renewal of the act on August 3 but that vote has been postponed indefinitely. The committee’s vote on the Combating Autism Act, which is scheduled to expire Sept. 30, was postponed until Sept. 7.