Bill Text: NY S01198 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Directs the commissioner of health to do a comprehensive assessment of the existing methodology used to determine payment for early intervention screenings, evaluations, services and service coordination; directs recommendations on reimbursement methodology as well as needs under the program.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-3)
Status: (Engrossed) 2024-06-04 - returned to senate [S01198 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-S01198-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1198--A Cal. No. 686 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 10, 2023 ___________ Introduced by Sens. RIVERA, ASHBY, BROUK, MANNION, MYRIE, SALAZAR, WEBB -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Disabilities -- recommitted to the Committee on Disa- bilities in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- reported favora- bly from said committee, ordered to first and second report, ordered to a third reading, passed by Senate and delivered to the Assembly, recalled, vote reconsidered, restored to third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to a review and recommendations of reimbursement adequacy and other matters relating to early intervention The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2 2557-a to read as follows: 3 § 2557-a. Early intervention program review. 1. The commissioner shall 4 conduct a comprehensive study and review of the early intervention 5 program including the models of service delivery and the rates of 6 reimbursement for each such service and model made through the early 7 intervention program for efficacy, adequacy and effectiveness of service 8 delivery and the full implementation of individualized family service 9 plans. The review shall include: 10 (a) a comprehensive assessment of the existing methodology used to 11 determine payment for early intervention screenings, evaluations, 12 services and service coordination, including but not limited to: 13 (i) analysis of early intervention rules, regulations, and policies, 14 including policies, processes, and revenue sources; 15 (ii) analysis of costs to providers participating in the early inter- 16 vention program, including time and cost of travel, service provision, 17 and administrative activities; and EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD03582-02-4S. 1198--A 2 1 (iii) analysis by discipline and labor region of salary levels for 2 individuals providing early intervention services compared to the salary 3 levels for individuals in the same disciplines and labor regions provid- 4 ing services other than in the early intervention program; 5 (b) recommendations for maintaining or changing reimbursement method- 6 ologies. Recommendations under this paragraph shall be consistent with 7 federal law and shall include recommendations for appropriate changes in 8 state law and regulations. The recommendations shall consider appropri- 9 ate payment methodologies and rates for in-person and telehealth early 10 intervention evaluations and services to address barriers in timely 11 service provision as well as racial and socioeconomic disparities in 12 access, with consideration of factors including, but not limited to, 13 payment for bilingual services, travel time, geographic variability, 14 access to and cost of technology, cost of living, and other barriers to 15 timely service provision; 16 (c) the projected number of children who will need early intervention 17 services in the next five years disaggregated by county; 18 (d) the workforce needed to provide services in the next five years to 19 all children eligible for early intervention services, disaggregated by 20 county; and 21 (e) opportunities for stakeholder input on current rate methodologies. 22 2. Such review shall also include an assessment of the efficacy of 23 program models for the provision of early intervention services, includ- 24 ing, but not limited to group services, individual services, facility 25 based services and home-based services and the configurations of such 26 service models. Such review shall include a comprehensive assessment of 27 the utilization of each model and configuration, including barriers to 28 fuller utilizations, and utilization disaggregated by clinical service. 29 3. Within one year after the effective date of this section, the 30 commissioner shall submit a report of the findings and recommendations 31 under this section to the governor, the temporary president of the 32 senate, the speaker of the assembly, and the chairs of the senate and 33 assembly committees on health, and shall post the report on the depart- 34 ment's website. 35 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.