NASUAD's Analysis of Governors' State of the State Addresses

February 28,2011

NASUAD is tracking each State of the State addresses to identify policy and programmatic proposal trends that impact older adults, people with disabilities, and the systems that supports them and their families.  In many cases, Governors’ comments with implications for older adults and persons with disabilities are imbedded in broader health care initiatives.  To this end, NASUAD‘s analysis also identifies trends in Governors’ health initiative plans.  To provide a more complete national picture, if a State of the State address was not delivered or if not enough information was provided within an address, the state’s budget proposal was reviewed for insight into the aforementioned trends.  This document covers 43 states in which the Governor has delivered his or her State of the State address.  NASUAD will update the report as more State of the State addresses and/or budget proposals are issued.

Please note that NASUAD has found seven key trends which emerged in our review of the Governors’ speeches and/or a review of the Governors’ budgets: 

1. Older Adult, Persons with Disabilities or Long-Term Services and Supports Initiatives;
2. Large Scale State Health Care Restructuring Initiatives;
3. Targeted Medicaid Changes ;
4. State Departmental Restructuring ;
5. Multiple Programmatic and Organizational Changes;
6. Governor Revealed Few or No Health Care Initiatives; and
7. States Seeking Independence from Federal Health Care Reform (the Affordable Care Act).    

Click here to read NASUAD's Analysis of Governors' State of the State Addresses