The Times Union reports that New York’s new budget omitted requested youth behavioral health funding despite a federal court settlement on Medicaid services for children.
Budget omission
According to the Times Union, New York’s new state budget left out youth mental health funding sought by lawmakers and advocates. The report says advocates had spent months seeking funding even as the state agreed in a federal court settlement to overhaul care for children covered by Medicaid.
The Times Union reports that advocates sought roughly $200 million to raise Medicaid reimbursement rates and rebuild the children’s behavioral health workforce. Gov. Kathy Hochul did not include that funding in her executive budget, according to the Times Union, and the Legislature did not add it.
Concerns about access to care
The Times Union reports that advocates contend the funding gap could leave children on long waitlists while New York spends the next year and a half planning a new system. The requested money was intended to address reimbursement rates and a depleted workforce for children’s behavioral health services, according to the report.
Kayleigh Zaloga, president and chief executive of the NYS Coalition for Children’s Behavioral Health, told the Times Union that the enacted budget falls short of the state’s moral and legal obligation to improve children’s care. The report says she described the omission as inaction on a binding commitment to children and families.
Court settlement background
According to the Times Union, the budget debate follows C.K. v. McDonald, a class-action lawsuit filed in federal court in Brooklyn in 2022. Plaintiffs in the case said New York had failed to provide intensive home- and community-based services guaranteed under federal law for Medicaid-eligible children, the Times Union reports.
The Times Union says plaintiffs alleged that some children were left hospitalized or institutionalized far from home. A judge granted final approval of the settlement early this year, according to the report.
What this means for New York patients
For New York families looking for local treatment, the Times Union report highlights continued concerns about children’s behavioral health service capacity and waitlists. The directory lists 223 published clinics in New York, which may help families identify local treatment options.
This is general information, not medical advice.
More New York reporting on youth & families.
This report is educational and is not medical advice. Coverage, availability and eligibility can change; verify details with the named source or your care team.