Independent Democratic Conference

IDC: State Insurance Department Can Help Redesign Medicaid Now.  Independent Dems Call for Action on Klein law that will save $61 Million.

 

The Independent Democratic Conference today called on the State Insurance Department to take the first steps to streamline the Medicaid system by quickly completing regulations to implement a new law that is projected to create more than $61 million in savings.

The IDC also issued a report detailing more recommendations to reform Medicaid spending for Long Term Health in New York.

The measure was sponsored by Senator Jeffrey D. Klein, (D-Bronx/ Westchester), and signed into law on Dec. 20, 2010. It  allowed health insurance companies to offer life insurance policies in which a portion of the benefit can be used to cover long term care costs. Specifically, it allows an accelerated life insurance payout to go toward long term care if a person is confined to a nursing home for three months and was expected to remain in such a facility for the the rest of their lives.

The State Insurance Department needs to draft and issue guidelines governing these new long term care policies in order for them to be implemented.

“Having this law in full effect now will start the process of redirecting long term care costs away from New York's Medicaid system and, in just a few years, create more than $61 million in savings,” Senator Klein said. “The Governor's Medicaid Redesign Team has made it clear that they want to further expand insurance options in order to reign in Medicaid spending. I urge the State Insurance Department to do everything in their power to get the ball rolling now.” 

The intent of the law, which brings New York in line with every other state in the country,  is to ease the burden on the Medicaid system, where long term care costs frequently fall, by encouraging the use of long term care insurance.

Medicaid spending on long term care was at least $12.4 billion and accounted for 27 percent of all Medicaid spending in 2009. During that same time period, there were only 321,011 private long term care policies written in New York State, which has a population of 19 million. By contrast there were roughly 9 million life insurance policies.

The table below shows projected savings under Senator Klein's measure (S.7196), which became Chapter 563 of the laws of 2010.

Year	# individual diverted from Medicaid	Average annual Medicaid costs to State & Localities	Savings
2015	2,177	$28,299.71	$61,603,438.16
2016	2,595	$29,431.70	$76,360,608.15
2017	3,007	$30,608.97	$92,052,153.10
2018	3,415	$31,833.32	$108,721,770.81
2019	3,818	$33,106.66	$126,414,784.92
2020	4,217	$34,430.92	$145,178,186.10

“This law is a good first step that will help not only streamline, but also strengthen New York's long term care system,” said Senator Diane Savino, (D-Staten Island/ Brooklyn), who was a co-sponsor of this legislation. “I, and the other members of the Independent Democratic Conference are committed to improving the efficiency of the system, while ensuring that the most vulnerable receive the help that they need.”

The IDC has made further recommendations to the State Insurance Department, including that they:

·         Investigate allowing additional forms of hybrid life insurance/long term care insurance policies to be written and sold in New York State. This step was also recommended by the Governor's Medicaid Redesign Team.

·         Explore joining the interstate compact allowing reciprocity between New York and other states participating in Partnership for Long Term Care programs.

·         Find ways to expand the New York Public Employee and Retirement Long Term Care Insurance Plan in order to build a large and effective pool of participants that have long term care insurance policies. This might include accepting Health Department recommendations to allow state employees to use sick time to buy long term care insurance policies and allowing for broader intervals of open enrollment  to subscribe to long term care insurance.

·         Examine ways to help self-employed workers and private companies and unions to create pools of long term care insurance as a way to give more individuals access to group long term care insurance.

“The Medicaid system has grown to the size that it has after years of doing the same old thing in government,” said Senator David Carlucci, (D-Rockland/ Orange). “We are going to need to think outside the box to fix Medicaid and put New York back on the right track.”

The Independent Democratic Conference also recommended changes to the Medicaid Long Term Care system that would make it more efficient and less costly. These changes include:

·         Creating a uniform standard to determine what long term care services are needed. Currently, no such standard exists. 

·         Streamlining the current Medicaid long term care program, which is currently made up of many different programs, many of them having very similar demographics.

·         Expanding already successful and less costly Medicaid managed long term care programs..

·         Find ways to better integrate informal caregivers with the long term care system and increase the support they receive. One way may be to implement a tax credit   program for these caregivers.

Many of these have also been recommended by the Governor's Medicaid Redesign Team.

“We believe these to be important and vital reforms,” said Senator David J. Valesky, (D-Oneida). “I, and my fellow members of the Independent Democratic Conference, are looking forward to working with our partners in government to move our Medicaid system into the 21^st Century.”

KLEIN HONORS EVERYDAY HEROES AT HIS ANNUAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION BREAKFAST
NYC COBA President Norman Seabrook and Local Community Members Honored

  In celebration of Black History Month, State Senator Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/ Westchester) hosted a complimentary breakfast at Villa Barone Catering Hall Saturday morning. Norman I. Seabrook, President of the New York City Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association delivered the keynote address. This year's celebration also honored everyday heroes from the education, business, civic and law enforcement communities. Honorees included: Monica Major, President of District 11 Community Education Council; Gregory Perry, President of the Westchester Square Merchants Association; Yolanda Robinson, Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Mount Vernon; Officer Jay Sturdivant of the NYPD’s 49th Precinct's Community Affairs Division; and  Al J. Everett, Deputy Chief of the Mount Vernon Fire Department.

“It is easy to recognize the significant contributions of African-Americans to the rich cultural fabric of our communities. African Americans have played a significant role in shaping both our national history and our magnificent city - whether in the classroom, on the beat, running businesses or in their dedication to public service and safety. It has been my great privilege to work with these exemplary members of our community that I consider everyday heroes - committed to working tirelessly for the benefit of us all,” said Senator Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/ Westchester).

"I am honored to join Senator Klein and distinguished leaders from our communities in the Bronx to celebrate not just Black History month, but Black future everyday moving forward. We're proud to support those individuals who work diligently every day and who make countless sacrifices to make a positive difference in the lives of all of us no matter where they come from," said Norman I. Seabrook, President of the New York City Correction Officers' Benevolent Association.

In addition, honorees and members of the community enjoyed a special live performance by the Trinity Baptist Church Choir.

 Pictured are Greg Perry, Monica Major, Senator Klein, Officer Jay Sturdivant, Yolanda Robinson, Deputy Chief Al Everett and Keynote Speaker Norman Seabrook) 

Hall of Famer Duke Snider Passes Away

 Duke Snider, the Hall of Fame center fielder for the charmed “Boys of Summer” who helped the Dodgers bring their elusive and only World Series crown to Brooklyn, died early Sunday of what his family called natural causes. He was 84 years old, and you can read about the "Duke of Flatbush" and his baseball career here .

 This leaves only Willie Mays (age 79) as the remaining survivor of the threesome known as "The Mick" (Mickey Mantle), "Willie" (Willie Mays), and "The Duke" (Duke Snider).

Pedro Espada's Bedford Park Coop up For Sale

  The Daily News reports here that you too can live as former State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. did, as his Bedford Park residence is up for sale. The asking price of $199,999.00 is said to be $25,000.00 less than what was paid only a few short years ago. The maintenance charges are said to be $675.00 a month. 

  A word of warning however, it is reported that the coop is still under investigation whether it was purchased illegally with Medicaid funds from his Soundview Healthcare Clinic.

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ DELIVERS

SECOND “STATE OF THE BOROUGH” ADDRESS

   Thursday February 24th to a full house at DeWitt Clinton High School in the northwest Bronx, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. delivered his second “State of the Borough” address. During the speech, Borough President Diaz announced several initiatives his office will pursue in the upcoming year, such as bringing a first-class hotel to the Bronx, hosting the borough’s first ever education summit and expanding the successful “Peace in Our Streets” initiative against gun violence.

“Together, as ‘One Bronx,’ we come together today to offer a positive vision for the future of our borough,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “We come together to celebrate our successes while offering new ideas and concepts to build our borough for the future. In development, in housing, in business, in health, and in education, we are developing the ideas that will shape the future of our entire City, right here in the Bronx.”

During the speech, Borough President Diaz highlighted economic development in the Bronx. While highlighting specific cases, the borough president also noted that the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC), which serves as the economic development arm of his office, has pushed more than $32 million in funding into the borough’s economy to a wide variety of businesses. In addition, the BOEDC provided assistance, financial or otherwise, to almost 700 Bronx businesses in the last year.

“My administration has and will continue to make intelligent economic development a reality.  We have taken major steps to market the Bronx to new businesses, to support our existing businesses, and to grow the overall economy of our borough,” said Borough President Diaz.

Part of growing the new Bronx economy is bringing new business to the borough. Borough President Diaz spoke at length regarding the initial steps that have been undertaken to bring a first-class hotel to the area near Yankee Stadium.

“This development would serve as a new tourism hub for our borough, while creating hundreds of good jobs for Bronx residents and greatly enhancing the area surrounding Yankee Stadium,” said Borough President Diaz.

On the future of the Kingsbridge Armory, Borough President Diaz noted that the Kingsbridge Armory Task Force would put forward recommendations for the future of the historic structure in the spring. The borough president also challenged Mayor Michael Bloomberg to join him in making the redevelopment of the historic structure a reality.

“The report of this task force must be the cornerstone of a new RFP, and I invite the mayor to join with me to responsibly redevelop the Kingsbridge Armory,” said Borough President Diaz.

Borough President Diaz also continued his call for a new “living wage” law in New York City, one that would require developers who receive heavy taxpayer subsidies to do better by their employees. Statistics show that income disparity in New York City has increased dramatically over the past two decades. In addition, there is considerable research that shows that a “living wage” law would not harm business, and that such laws provide workers with the ability to both improve their financial situation and rely less on government assistance.

“It is time to hold hearings on this legislation, and for the City Council to bring it to a vote. The people of New York City cannot afford to wait,” said Borough President Diaz.

Borough President Diaz focused on education in the speech, as well. He noted that this fall, his office will host the borough’s first-ever education summit, which will bring together education leaders from across the nation to both discuss the problems facing our public schools and to develop ideas for the future.

“We will work to foster innovation while also making sure our public schools, once again, are the best in the nation,” said Borough President Diaz. “We will put forward new ideas to make sure all students— from our most gifted to those who need extra help and everyone in between— are being served by our public school system. Our children must be prepared to enter college and the workforce, and the way to make sure that happens is to guarantee that our public schools are the best they can possibly be.”

The borough president also noted that his office has continued its fight to make public schools safer, by continuing to lead the fight to remove PCBs, a dangerous chemical that was used in school construction for many years, from school buildings. Borough President Diaz’s commitment to make the Bronx safer and healthier extends outside of schools, as well. He noted during the speech that he has allocated funding to convert one Bronx building to cleaner burning fuel, a move that will keep the building affordable to tenants while also contributing to a greener Bronx.

In addition, Borough President Diaz announced that his office will seek to create, in conjunction with the City Council, a new law requiring a “health impact statement” be developed as part of major development projects. This initiative would ensure that new development does not have an adverse impact on the health and well-being of neighborhoods across the City.

In other funding, this year Borough President Diaz provided more than $12 million in funding for schools across the Bronx, funding that was used to provided critical improvements to the physical plant of Bronx public schools. In addition, the borough president was able to leverage almost $16 million in funding into $442 million in new housing development across the borough. Borough President Diaz also highlighted new park improvements that have been made in the Bronx, as part of the $37.6 million he allocated in total capital funding this year.

The Bronx saw some hardships this year, but Borough President Diaz noted that even in the most trying times the borough came together in a positive way. A spate of bias crimes last year has led to the formation of a new task force, to be made up of clergy and community leaders from all faiths, ethnicities and sexual orientations, designed to stand together in the face of future hate crimes. In addition, the borough president pointed to the success of his “Peace on the Streets” initiative, which works to end gun violence in the Bronx. During the speech, the borough president took time to recognize the hundreds of volunteers who assisted with this effort, and urged all Bronxites to join this effort when it restarts in the coming weeks.

“We reached thousands of Bronxites, and the message we heard from them was loud and clear: they are tired of being terrorized in their neighborhoods… they are tired of keeping their children inside, for fear that they will be struck down by a stray bullet… they are tired of the violence. I agree…enough is enough,” said Borough President Diaz.

The borough president closed his speech with a call to all Bronxites to come together, as “One Bronx,” to support efforts in all neighborhoods to make the borough a better place to live.

“It is time to let the world know once again that the Bronx is a place of success. We face challenges— in education, in the economy, in making our borough a greener place. But we are all committed to the rebirth and continuing revitalization of our Bronx, “One Bronx”— the place we call home,” said Borough President Diaz.

KLEIN HOSTS ANNUAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH BREAKFAST

NYC COBA President Norman Seabrook to Give Keynote Address, Local Community Members Honored

   In celebration of Black History Month, State Senator Jeff Klein (D- Bronx/ Westchester) will host a complimentary breakfast at Villa Barone Catering Hall to honor everyday heroes. President of the New York City Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, Norman I. Seabrook will deliver the keynote address. In addition, Klein will be honoring distinguished members of the civic, business and law enforcement community. Honorees and members of the community will enjoy a live performance by the Trinity Baptist Church Choir.

  SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26^TH  AT 9:00AM

  Villa Barone Catering Hall, 737 Throggs Neck Expressway, Bronx
  "If you plan on attending you'll need to reserve your seat. Please 
  RSVP to 1-718-822-2049."

Dominican Heritage & African American Heritage Month Celebration

 

*Congressman Charles B. Rangel *Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer *NYS Senator Adriano Espaillat *NYS Assemblyman Herman D. Farrell *NYS Assemblyman Guillermo Linares *NYC Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez *NYC Comptroller John Liu *NYC Councilman Robert Jackson

Cordially invite you to celebrate

Dominican Heritage Month

&

African American History Month

on

Friday, February 25, 2011

6:30 - 8:30 pm

at

Isabella Geriatric Center

515 Audubon Ave

(Corner of 192nd  Street)

 

 

RSVP to Aneiry Batista at 212-544-0173 or EventsRSVP@adrianoespaillat.org

 

Strike Vote Moves Bronx Apartment Building Workers One Step Closer to a Work Stoppage

As their contract’s expiration approaches, Bronx building workers voted Wednesday to authorize a strike, if necessary, to protect good jobs throughout the borough. Failure to reach a new contract agreement by the March 15^th deadline could lead to a strike of more than 3,000 Bronx apartment building workers at over 1,000 residential buildings.

“Undercutting the livelihoods of building workers not only hurts their families and our communities but could deny hundreds of thousands of tenants the services they depend on,” said Kyle Bragg, Vice President of 32BJ. “This strike vote shows we’re determined to keep the Bronx a place that working families can still afford to call home.”

Tonight’s vote came one week after workers rejected an unfair contract proposal by the Bronx Realty Advisory Board (BRAB), a real estate industry association representing Bronx building owners. The BRAB is seeking to strip away much needed benefits from these hard working men and women.

Contract negotiations between 32BJ SEIU and BRAB have been underway since February 8th, and several issues, including family health care and retirement savings, remain outstanding. The contract covers building superintendents, janitors, handypersons, porters, firepersons, doormen, elevator operators and garbage handlers.

“Nobody wants a strike, but we’re committed to do what it takes to get workers what they need,” said Bragg, “Working families need wages that keep pace with the city’s high cost of living.”

Workers are looking to maintain their benefits as well as moderate, cost of living wage increases. Under the current contract, the average Bronx apartment building workers’ wages range from $15.53/hr in the South Bronx to $17.07/hr in Riverdale, and they receive employer-paid family health care, pension and training in addition to vacation and sick leave.

“I voted yes for my family and for the families of all working people,” said Darryl Mosley, a Bronx doorman and father of two. “I feel like we’re being pushed out of the city with the rising cost of rents, mortgages, groceries, the subway, gas, you name it.”

Failure to reach an agreement, before the March 15th expiration, could lead to a strike directly affecting nearly 250,000 New Yorkers living in over 1,000 apartment, condo and co-op buildings in the Bronx.

With more than 70,000 members in New York, 32BJ is the largest private sector union in the state. For more information, visit www.standwithbuildingworkers.org.