Budget worries Church officials

Medicaid cuts topped the list of issues worrying Catholic officials in the executive budget announced last week by Gov. George Pataki.

"It's indisputable that we're in some dire financial straits" in New York State, said Dennis Poust, director of communications for the New York State Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the state's bishops.

However, he added, "that being said, we do need to care for the poor, the sick, the vulnerable. Every avenue must be explored before making cuts."

But cuts in spending and services were the focus of the Governor's budget proposal, which he called a better solution to New York's financial woes than raising taxes.

HEALTH CARE

When it comes to Medicaid, Gov. Pataki proposed $1.23 billion in cuts, including increased prescription drug copayments and other fees. Eligibility for the Family Health Plus insurance program would also be restricted, and hospital and nursing home revenues would be taxed -- as well as losing some state reimbursement. Gov. Pataki does plan to continue funding the Health Care Reform Act.

"It's been a while since it's been this bad," said Ron Guglielmo, health care director for the Catholic Conference. He noted that the Governor's budget cuts both providers and services.

Mr. Guglielmo characterized the taxes on hospitals and home-care agencies as "skimming the cream off the top." He added that while restructuring home-care rates is supposed to save the state about $39 million, the statistics are still unclear: "We don't know whether that's the gross total or what the state will save."

The poor and elderly may be hardest-hit by Gov. Pataki's proposed budget cuts. At a time when many employers are already dropping health insurance for employees because they can't afford it, said Mr. Guglielmo, cutting the Family Health Plus program makes it "the worst possible time for folks in that bracket."

He added that moving children from Medicaid to the Child Health Plus insurance program, another proposal, also means that if Child Health Plus is cut in the future, those children will lose their health services -- children who are often among the neediest when it comes to health care.

"The economy is really flat and has been for a long time," Mr. Guglielmo concluded. Some officials, he said, are referring to the state's financial crisis as "The Perfect Storm": "More and more pressure is being put on the healthcare sector to finance more and more themselves."

He called the trend "alarming," saying, "I'm hopeful that there are enough folks fired up that they'll say, `This budget is not going to stand this way.'"

LIFE ISSUES

Good news was the order of the day in some areas: For example, $2.6 million was budgeted for sexual abstinence programs. Catholic Conference pro-life activities director Kathleen Gallagher said this means "kids are hearing the right message" when it comes to abstinence.

The Maternity and Early Childhood Foundation, a program offering alternatives to abortion (such as pre- and post-natal care) for young mothers, also received $1.3 million in funding in the executive budget. Mrs. Gallagher said the Catholic Conference "strongly supports that program" and was pleased at its funding level.

Less pleasing, she added, was that there are still significant funds through Medicaid for abortions -- to the tune of $20 million.

EDUCATION

Public education was under fire in the budget, something Gov. Pataki said he had "no choice" but to do. He proposed slashing the education budget by 8.5 percent, including major cuts in education for students with special needs.

"It's a difficult fiscal time for all schools," said James Cultrara, education director for the Catholic Conference. He hoped the education cuts would not only be restored, but that religious schools would be among those receiving computer-hardware aid and teacher training.

"We're also hopeful the legislature restores full funding to teacher centers," he added. Teachers in Catholic schools receive training at the centers, whose budgets would be cut under the Governor's plan from $30 million to $10 million.

DRUGS

Mr. Poust put in a plug for reform of the Rockefeller-era drug sentencing laws, which currently mandate severe prison sentences for non-violent drug offenders. He said one study showed that New York State would eventually save as much as $150 million by moving offenders from incarceration to drug treatment.

OVERVIEW

In his budget address, Gov. Pataki called on state leaders to have the "courage, leadership and honesty" to tell even worthy programs that the state can no longer fund them. Mr. Poust countered that "we do need to be courageous, and that includes the courage to not target those who are voiceless."

It's "tempting," he said, to pass a budget that targets the poor and vulnerable, since they are often politically voiceless and such cuts don't translate into a lack of votes.

Instead, Mr. Poust called on legislators to heed a different call: to protect those most in need, and to unite in doing so.

"The Governor noted that it's critical this year to reach an agreement [on the budget] early on," he explained. "Everyone's bracing for the worst, and the sooner we know what the situation is, the better it will be. I urge them to get a budget in place as soon as possible."

(02-06-03) [[In-content Ad]]