$90 million in funding restored to OPWDD
By KELLY FAY
October 07, 2013
Lawmakers are applauding the recovery of funding for the Office of People With Developmental Disabilities, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently signed legislation restoring $90 million to the office's budget that had previously been removed.
The bill (A.06692-c/S.04777-d) received unanimous, bipartisan support in the Assembly, where for the first time in history, every member co-sponsored the piece of legislation.
"This new law is another step in our work to improve services and protections for New Yorkers with developmental disabilities," Cuomo said. "The state is committed to upholding the toughest standards and practices in the nation to care for our most vulnerable citizens, and I am pleased to sign this bill into law to restore funding the OPWDD after our federal aid was reduced."
The funding cuts came following a congressional committee's discovery that New York had been systematically overbilling the federal government for Medicaid. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform estimates the state overcharged for services by $15 billion over the course of 20 years. To compensate, federal aid was reduced $1.1 billion which lowered Medicaid reimbursement rates and slashed the OPWDD's budget.
Read more at
http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2013-10-07-85342.113122-90-million-in-funding-restored-to-OPWDD.html
