Golden And Malliotakis Push To Preserve Spousal Refusal

State Senator Marty Golden and Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis joined forces and called for the preservation of spousal refusal, a provision in state law that provides help for care-giving individuals so they can afford long-term care for their spouses, according to a press release on Golden’s Senate website.

Spousal refusal allows seniors to separate their income from spouses who are in home care due to chronic health issues. The elimination of the provision would force the healthy spouse to surrender a greater portion of their income and resources to pay the health care costs of their partner.

Assemblywoman Malliotakis laid out her opposition to the elimination of spousal refusal during a press conference:

“The new language in the executive budget, changing a single word from ‘or’ to ‘and’ regarding spousal refusal, causes an unbearable financial burden on New York’s most vulnerable. This new language forces the sick and elderly, who for the last 40 years have relied on this system, to lose all their assets and possibly their homes. New Yorkers need to stand up for the seniors and the sick, and spousal refusal is a right which we must preserve.”