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History
- Referred to health
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Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S2390
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to certified home health agencies
Purpose
To allow special needs certified home health agencies to enroll any patient determined to require certified home health agency services under certain circumstances and thereby achieve state Medicaid savings through market efficiencies.
Summary of provisions
Amends section 3608 of the public health law to provide that a certified home health agency (CHHA's) which has been issued a certificate of approval for the purpose of serving individuals eligible for care in a facility or program licensed by the Office of Mental Health or the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities may enroll any patient determined to require certified home health agency services if such agency:
- possesses demonstrated clinical expertise in the required treatment; - continues to market, accept and treat members of the special needs population; - contracts with the Department of Health to maintain rates at specified levels.
Justification
Special-needs CHHAs provide high quality care at lower rates than CHHAs that serve the general population. Currently by, DOH policy, special needs CHHAs are restricted in their outreach and marketing efforts to special-needs individuals, but may service the general public. The result is a bifurcated, confusing marketplace that has negatively influenced competition with the effect of a substantial percentage of the Medicaid population not utilizing the lower-cost model of care.
Expanding the scope of the population that they serve will result in significant Medicaid savings.
Special-needs CHHAs were established for the special purpose of delivering Medicaid covered home care services to individuals who otherwise would require more costly institutionalized services by the Office of Mental Health ("OMH") or by the Office of Mental Retardation Developmental Disabilities ("OMRDD"). In this legislation, special needs CHHAs will continue to be required to develop and maintain special care protocols, training and vendor relationships tailored to the population that such CHHA was originally established to service.
Allowing special-needs CHHAs to compete with general-purpose CHHAs without restriction, will yield millions of dollars in savings to the State Medicaid budget effective immediately. Special-needs CHHAs have demonstrated that they have a formula whether measured either from the prospective of low rates, operational efficiencies or compassionate care. The State should make this model available to the general public without restriction or delay.
Prior legislative history
2010: A.11581/S.8393 Held in Rules
Fiscal implications
Fiscal year 2010/2011 state Medicaid savings of $1 million to $3 million; Fiscal year 2001/2012 savings could approach $10 million.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.