What's happening
This bill allows Medicaid to cover more than twenty speech, physical, or occupational therapy visits per year if medically necessary.
Why it matters
Expands access to medically necessary therapy. By removing the hard cap on annual therapy visits, patients who need ongoing or intensive speech, physical, or occupational therapy can receive as many sessions as their health condition requires, rather than being limited by an arbitrary number.
Empowers healthcare professionals. The decision for additional therapy visits now rests with the treating provider, increasing the role of medical judgment in determining care rather than blanket policy limits, which could lead to more individualized and appropriate treatment plans.
Potentially improves health outcomes. For patients recovering from serious injuries, strokes, or managing chronic or progressive conditions, timely and adequate therapy can be crucial for recovery or maintaining independence, potentially preventing hospitalizations or more expensive interventions down the line.
Addresses equity for Medicaid recipients. This change brings Medicaid coverage more in line with best practice standards, potentially reducing disparities in access to rehabilitative care for low-income or vulnerable New Yorkers who rely on Medicaid.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Extend Medicaid Therapy Visits
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to ways and means
- Reported referred to ways and means
- Referred to health
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7772
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 15, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. BARRETT, GOTTFRIED -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to providing extended speech, physical or occupational therapy under Medicaid
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (h) of subdivision 2 of section 365-a of the social services law, as amended by chapter 220 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
(h) speech therapy, and when provided at the direction of a physician or nurse practitioner, physical therapy including related rehabilitative services and occupational therapy; provided, however, that speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy each shall be limited to coverage of twenty visits per year unless the professional at whose direction the therapy or services are provided or the provider of the therapy or services attests to the medical necessity of additional visits; such limitation shall not apply to persons with developmental disabilities or, notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, to persons with traumatic brain injury;
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law; provided that, effective immediately, the addition, amendment, and/or repeal of any rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be completed on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11217-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.