Bill Text: NY S03981 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Makes care and services provided by licensed mental health practitioners eligible for coverage under the Medicaid program.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-2)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-06-08 - PRINT NUMBER 3981B [S03981 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-S03981-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          3981
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    January 31, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen.  SAVINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
        AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to making care  and
          services provided by licensed mental health practitioners eligible for
          coverage under the Medicaid program
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Legislative intent. Whereas Medicaid covers  mental  health
     2  services  in  New  York state to psychiatrists, psychologists and social
     3  workers, Medicaid does not recognize  New  York  state  licensed  mental
     4  health  practitioners  as  providers within the Medicaid program. Mental
     5  health practitioners are often the only mental health providers in urban
     6  underserved minority communities. A critical  result  of  this  lack  of
     7  providers is that minority communities bear a disproportionate number of
     8  burdens  of  mental  health disabilities and inadequately treated mental
     9  health disorders. Excluding mental health  practitioners  from  treating
    10  Medicaid beneficiaries with untreated mental illness puts such benefici-
    11  aries  disproportionately  at  risk  for  engagement  with  the criminal
    12  justice system. This puts individuals, families and communities at  risk
    13  of  harm.    Approximately 26 percent of adults experience a diagnosable
    14  behavioral health disorder each year, and researchers have  reported  20
    15  percent of adolescents display psychological problems. Behavioral health
    16  disorders,  ranging  from  inattention to violence are often a result of
    17  those psychological problems.
    18    Mental health practitioners are valuable providers  of  mental  health
    19  services  in  New  York state. Unfortunately Medicaid does not recognize
    20  their important contribution to the present health care delivery system.
    21    § 2. Subdivision 2 of section 365-a of  the  social  services  law  is
    22  amended by adding a new paragraph (dd) to read as follows:
    23    (dd)  care  and  services  provided  by  mental  health  practitioners
    24  licensed pursuant to article one hundred sixty-three  of  the  education
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01543-01-7
        S. 3981                             2
     1  law, including such care and services provided in a hospital out-patient
     2  or clinic facility referred to in paragraph (c) of this subdivision.
     3    § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninety-first day after it shall
     4  have become a law.