Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, Chair of the New York State Assembly Committee on People with Disabilities, is leading a regional push to correct a delay in funding for community clinics that provide essential health care for people with disabilities.

In a letter to Governor Hochul and state health officials, signed by members of the Capital Region Assembly delegation, Santabarbara called for immediate action to implement an Article 28 Diagnostic & Treatment Center (D&TC) rate increase retroactive to October 1, 2024 — the start date approved in the FY 2024–2025 Enacted Budget. [LETTER ATTACHED]

The funding, totaling $10 million annually, was committed by the Legislature to support community-based Article 28 D&TCs across New York State. These clinics are critical access points for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and have been operating under outdated reimbursement rates set in 2007.

However, the Department of Health submitted the State Plan Amendment (SPA) with an effective date of January 1, 2025, instead of October 1, 2024. This administrative change effectively removes three months of funding from providers that already operate under significant financial strain.

“These clinics are more than medical offices – they are lifelines for people with disabilities,” Santabarbara said. “The Legislature approved this funding to start October 1, 2024, and that’s when it needs to start. Losing three months of support will only make it harder for providers to keep their doors open and maintain services.”

 The letter urges state health officials to:

• Correct the effective date to October 1, 2024 as passed in the state budget.
• Provide retroactive funding to cover the three months lost due to the later SPA date.

Santabarbara emphasized that timely implementation is essential to protect access to care and prevent service reductions for patients with disabilities across New York State.

The funding delay is not just a budget issue – it risks reducing clinic hours, increasing wait times, and cutting services for people with disabilities in the Capital Region and statewide.