Bill Text: NY S02739 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires hospitals and physicians to include information regarding military service of patients or persons close to patients on admission forms, including, but not limited to, who served in the military, where and when did the person serve, what was their job description, and are they currently registered with the veterans administration and/or receiving benefits from the veterans administration.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-01-17 - REFERRED TO HEALTH [S02739 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-S02739-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          2739
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    January 17, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen. LATIMER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
        AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to  requiring  hospi-
          tals  and physicians to include certain information regarding military
          service of patients or persons close to patients on admission forms
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  Subdivision 5 of section 2805-b of the public health law,
     2  as amended by chapter 64 of the laws of 2016,  is  amended  to  read  as
     3  follows:
     4    5.  The  staff of a general hospital shall: (a) inquire whether or not
     5  the person admitted has served in the United States armed forces.  [Such
     6  information  shall  be  listed on the] The admissions form shall include
     7  information including, but not limited to, whether the patient or  some-
     8  one  close to the patient has ever served in the military, who served in
     9  the military, when and where did the person serve, what was  the  person
    10  in  the  military's  job  description,  whether the patient is currently
    11  registered with the veterans administration, and whether the patient  is
    12  currently  receiving  any benefits from the veterans administration; (b)
    13  notify any admittee who is a veteran of  the  possible  availability  of
    14  services  at  a  hospital  operated by the veterans administration, and,
    15  upon request by the admittee, such staff shall make arrangements for the
    16  individual's transfer to a veterans  administration  operated  hospital,
    17  provided,  however, that transfers shall be authorized only after it has
    18  been determined, according to accepted clinical and  medical  standards,
    19  that  the  patient's condition has stabilized and transfer can be accom-
    20  plished safely and without complication; and (c)  provide  any  admittee
    21  who  has  served  in  the  United States armed forces with a copy of the
    22  "Information for Veterans concerning Health Care  Options"  fact  sheet,
    23  maintained  by the division of veterans' affairs pursuant to subdivision
    24  twenty-three of section three hundred fifty-three of the  executive  law
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00935-01-7
        S. 2739                             2
     1  prior to discharging or transferring the patient. The commissioner shall
     2  promulgate  rules and regulations for notifying such admittees of possi-
     3  ble available services and for arranging a requested transfer.
     4    § 2.  The public health law is amended by adding a new article 26-B to
     5  read as follows:
     6                                ARTICLE 26-B
     7                           MILITARY SERVICE INQUIRY
     8  Section 2640. Military service; duty to inquire and record.
     9    §  2640. Military service; duty to inquire and record. 1. Every physi-
    10  cian shall inquire of every resident of the state of New York coming  to
    11  such  physician for services or treatment whether the person is a veter-
    12  an, as defined in section eighty-five of  the  civil  service  law,  and
    13  shall  record  the  answers  to  such  inquiry  in the patient's medical
    14  record. The physician shall record, at a minimum, the following informa-
    15  tion: whether the patient or someone  close  to  the  patient  has  ever
    16  served  in  the military, who served in the military, when and where did
    17  the person serve, what was the person in the military's job description,
    18  whether the patient is currently registered with the  veterans  adminis-
    19  tration,  and  whether  the  patient is currently receiving any benefits
    20  from the veterans administration.
    21    2. Each physician providing services or  treatment  to  a  veteran  or
    22  someone  close  to  a  veteran shall notify such patient of the possible
    23  availability of services at a hospital operated by the veterans adminis-
    24  tration and, upon request by the patient, such physician shall  transfer
    25  the  patient's  medical records to such hospital. The commissioner shall
    26  promulgate rules and regulations for notifying such patient of  possible
    27  available services and for arranging for a transfer of medical records.
    28    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.