With New York facing a staggering $34 billion budget deficit, tough choices lie ahead. The Mental Health Association of New York State is proposing an innovative, albeit perhaps controversial, solution: creating a state Psychiatric Hospital Closure commission. Explore how these potential mental health budget cuts could reshape the state’s healthcare landscape.
According to the New York Budget Division, the state is preparing for a growing structural budget deficit with a cumulative three-year budget gap of over $34 billion. That means the state needs to either find new revenues, like raising taxes, or cut expenses.
The Mental Health Association of New York State has some ideas on where to trim.
Glenn Liebman, chief executive officer of the Mental Health Association of New York State, says the organization is recommending the creation of a State Psychiatric Hospital Closure commission like the federal base closure commissions of the 1990s and 2000s.
Liebman discussed the idea with Capital Tonight’s Susan Arbetter.
