Bill Text: NY S01198 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended

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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

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                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.
                                                                   LBD03582-02-4
        S. 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.