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A8888Assembly2017-2018 SessionSame asS7173

Expand Telepsychiatry for Seniors

Official title

“Relates to telepsychiatry”

Sponsor Aileen GuntherAD-100+1 co-sponsorAffects Health
Status
In Senate Committee
Rules
Impact
4/10
Low
Passage
0%

Bill progress

Step 5 of 7

In Senate · Rules

What's happening

This bill expands mental health law to enable telepsychiatry for homebound elderly and requires a study on geriatric social isolation.

Why it matters

  1. Expanding access to care for isolated seniors. By enabling telepsychiatry services for homebound and socially isolated older adults, the bill addresses barriers to mental health care among a population that often struggles to access in-person services due to physical or mobility limitations.

  2. Comprehensive study to shape future policy. Mandating a statewide study on geriatric social isolation, its mental health impacts, and best practices for intervention means future mental health policies and programs could be more evidence-based and tailored to the specific needs of at-risk elderly populations.

  3. Focus on prevention and practitioner guidance. The bill requires recommendations for health care practitioners on identifying and intervening in cases of social isolation, which could lead to earlier recognition and treatment of mental health issues among seniors.

  4. Public awareness and community support. By calling for the development and distribution of public awareness materials, the legislation recognizes the importance of reducing stigma and increasing understanding of social isolation’s health consequences, potentially mobilizing both professionals and communities to offer more targeted support.

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Who cares

Headline styles

Expand Telepsychiatry for Seniors

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Aileen Gunther

Assembly Member · Assembly District 100

1 Co-sponsor

History

  1. Referred to rules
  2. Delivered to senate
  3. Passed assembly
  4. Ordered to third reading rules cal.173
  5. Rules report cal.173
  6. Reported
  7. Reported referred to rules
  8. Reported referred to ways and means
  9. Print number 8888a
  10. Amend and recommit to mental health
  11. Referred to mental health

Companion bill

The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.

S7173Senate

Expand Virtual Senior Psychiatry

In Senate Committee · Finance · Sponsor Susan Serino

Impact 4 · Low0% to pass

Full text

1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

8888--A

IN ASSEMBLY

January 5, 2018

Introduced by M. of A. GUNTHER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to telepsychiatry

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Subdivision (b) of section 7.41 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new paragraph 10 to read as follows:

(10) Telepsychiatry. Programs which offer homebound or socially isolated geriatric patients with the use of two-way real-time interactive audio and video equipment access to provide and support mental health services at a distance.

§ 2. Subdivision (c) of section 7.41 of the mental hygiene law is relettered subdivision (d) and a new subdivision (c) is added to read as follows:

(c) The commissioner, in consultation with the state office for the aging and the department of health, shall conduct a study to consider the incidence of geriatric social isolation, mental health consequences, and their treatment and prevention across the state. The study shall include, but not be limited to an assessment of at-risk populations, the mental health impacts of social isolation, life stages that may put a person at a higher risk of social isolation, and community supports that may be developed to help address these concerns. The study shall provide recommendations on effective identification of social isolation, including specific recommendations for health care practitioners, intervention techniques, and the development of telehealth, telemedicine, and telepsychiatry programs to meet the needs of homebound and socially isolated geriatric patients who may be suffering from depression, mental illness, or other health consequences. The study shall also consider the development of public awareness information materials that the office may distribute to raise awareness of social isolation in older adults and the health consequences. The commissioner shall deliver the report to the governor, the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly no later than October first, two thousand nineteen.

§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD13687-07-8

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.