Springbrook, Pathfinder Village, ARC Otsego, Others Affected by $120 Million State Budget Cuts

In Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 30-day amendment to the state’s budget, one of the proposals is a budget cut to the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.

OPWDD, which includes Springbrook, Pathfinder Village and ARC Otsego are all volunteer providers.

Lynn Sessions, director of community relations for the ARC Otsego, talks about the proposed budget cut.

"This cut -- $120 million -- which in reality is actually $240 million because there are matching Federal Medicaid dollars that go with that $120 state Medicaid," Sessions said. "That would be handled as an across-the-board 6 percent cut in reimbursement rate to the voluntary providers. It's supposed to be effective April 1."

Sessions says the Senate and Assembly have both passed house bills that restore the 6 percent to the budget.

However, a lot still needs to happen in the Senate and Assembly before a budget that includes the restoration is sent to the governor.