What's happening
This bill requires hospitals to ensure equitable outpatient care access for all patients, regardless of insurance or payment source.
Why it matters
Strengthens hospitals’ accountability. by requiring them to explicitly show how they provide continuous, quality care for all, including Medicaid recipients and uninsured patients, not just in emergency settings but across all outpatient services.
Mandates examination of systemic barriers. by directing the state health department to identify regulatory, reimbursement, or insurance design issues that prevent equitable access—potentially laying groundwork for future reforms based on these findings.
Expands the scope of hospital planning. by integrating equitable access requirements into hospitals’ community service plans, making hospitals’ strategies for fair outpatient access a matter of public record and state oversight.
Could drive broader health policy changes. by requiring a state report (with recommendations) on how laws, insurance practices, and government policies might hinder equitable outpatient care—potentially influencing future legislative or regulatory actions.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Ensure Outpatient Care Access
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to health
- Referred to 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.
Ensure Equal Hospital Outpatient Access
In Assembly Committee · Health · Sponsor Victor M. Pichardo
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
158
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 4, 2017
Introduced by Sen. RIVERA -- 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 equitable and consistent access to outpatient care services
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraphs (iii) and (iv) of subdivision 2 of section 2803-l of the public health law, as amended by chapter 639 of the laws of 1996, are amended and a new paragraph (v) is added to read as follows:
(iii) demonstrate the hospital's operational and financial commitment to meeting community health care needs, to provide charity care services and to improve access to health care services by the underserved; [and]
(iv) prepare and make available to the public a statement showing on a combined basis a summary of the financial resources of the hospital and related corporations and the allocation of available resources to hospital purposes including the provision of free or reduced charge services[.]; and
(v) demonstrate the hospital's commitment to ensuring quality care and continuity of care within all treatment settings for all patient populations, including persons covered by Medicaid and the uninsured, in accordance with the provisions of section twenty-eight hundred five-z of this article.
§ 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2805-z to read as follows:
§ 2805-z. Access to outpatient services. Every general hospital shall establish policies that assure equitable and consistent access to outpatient care services that may be provided or arranged by such hospital through hospital-affiliated outpatient departments, clinics, faculty practice plans or private physician practices, regardless of a patient's
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00861-01-7
S. 158 2
source of coverage or payment. Such policies shall be incorporated within the general hospital's community services plan, in accordance with the provisions of section twenty-eight hundred three-l of this article. To assist general hospitals in satisfying these obligations and developing such policies, the department shall examine barriers that may exist to assuring equitable access to health care services. In conducting such examination, the department shall consider any state or federal regulatory or reimbursement policies that discourage equitable access, regardless of the patient's source of coverage or payment. The department shall also examine the extent to which insurance and managed care benefit designs may discourage or preclude access to appropriate services by patients, regardless of the patient's source of coverage or payment. The commissioner shall, on or before December thirty-first, two thousand eighteen, issue a report on such examination including recommendations for any necessary legislative or regulatory changes to enhance access to services, and detailing any federal statutory or regulatory barriers.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately, except that section one of this act shall take effect on October 1, 2018 and the provisions of such section shall apply to community service plans due and submitted on or after such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to equitable and consistent access to outpatient care services
Purpose
Requires general hospitals to develop and implement policies that assure equitable and consistent access to outpatient services as part of their community service plans.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends paragraphs (iii) and (iv) of subdivision 2 of section 2803-1 of the public health law and adds a new paragraph (v) to read as follows:
(v) demonstrate the hospital's commitment to ensuring quality care and continuity of care within all treatment settings for all patient populations, including persons covered by Medicaid and the uninsured, in accordance with the provisions of section twenty-eight hundred five-x of this article.
Section 2 amends the public health law by adding a new section 2805-z.
Section 3 reads: This act shall take effect immediately, except that section one of the act shall take effect on October 1, 2016 and the provisions of such section shall apply to community service plans due to submitted on or after such date.
Justification
New York State law requires that all hospitals submit to the Department of Health a comprehensive 3-year community service plan (CSP) which clarifies and seeks to accomplish many important health objectives under Article 28. This bill would add equitable and consistent access to care in the CSP. Under the bill, every general hospital shall establish policies that assure equitable and consistent access to outpatient care services that may be provided or arranged by the hospital through hospital affiliated outpatient departments, clinics, faculty practice plans or private physician practice, regardless of a patient's source of coverage or payment.
Legislative history
2013-2014: S7558 2015-2016: S382A
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately, except that section one of the act shall take effect on October 1, 2018 and the provisions of such section shall apply to community service plans due to submitted on or after such date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.