Agencies and advocates urge state to baseline $42 million to clear ISIP wait lists

Assemblyman Ron Kim convened the State Assembly Standing Committee on Aging to review the Expanded In‑Home Services for the Elderly program (ISIP) and examine whether current funding meets demand. "The purpose of this hearing is to review and examine the effectiveness of ISIP," Kim said, noting $10,000,000 was included in the enacted FY2024–25 budget for unmet need.

Greg Olsen, director of the New York State Office for the Aging, described ISIP as a non‑medical, case‑managed program that provides personal care, non‑institutional respite and ancillary services for New Yorkers age 60 and older who have functional impairments but are not Medicaid‑eligible. Olsen said ISIP accounts for about half of the state’s in‑home program spending and that NYSOFA’s most recent snapshot shows the funding required to eliminate unmet need "is around $40,000,000." He emphasized that unmet‑need dollars were placed in a separate pot during budget negotiations to better target high‑need counties and noted those unmet‑need funds do not require the usual 25% county match.

Advocacy groups and providers pressed for a larger, baseline commitment. AARP (speaker identified in testimony as Beth) told the committee the waiting list varies by source but may be as high as 11,000–18,000 service requests and urged that the executive budget include $42,000,000 to eliminate unmet need. "We hear anywhere from 11,000 to 18,000 in service requests," Beth said. The Association on Aging New York and LiveOn New York offered similar figures: the Association reported a survey showing more than 16,000 services not filled and said required reporting on unmet‑need allocations has not been received in full.

Ryan Murray, Executive Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Department for the Aging, said New York City serves more than 1.8 million older adults and that the city’s FY25 home care allocation is roughly $34,040,000, with about $6,940,000 from the state. Murray said his agency’s waiting list figure for ISIP was 210 individuals and offered to provide borough‑specific data. He warned that funding parity with Medicaid is needed so providers do not prioritize higher‑reimbursed Medicaid clients over ISIP clients.

Witnesses argued that targeted state investment saves Medicaid dollars by preventing institutional placements. Several speakers cited prior analyses showing relatively small state investments in home‑based services can avert larger Medicaid costs. Olsen and other witnesses recommended directing unmet‑need funds to counties that report higher per‑client costs and deeper needs rather than relying solely on a formula that spreads funding evenly.

The committee did not take formal action at the hearing. Members pressed agencies for more precise data and for stronger reporting to ensure transparency of how unmet‑need funds are distributed. Ryan Murray agreed to provide a veteran‑specific ISIP participation figure to committee staff within a week. Lawmakers said they would press the executive branch to include the larger funding request in the next executive budget.

The hearing closes the record for now; committee members indicated they would continue budget negotiations and oversight work ahead of the FY26 executive proposal.