What's happening
This bill allows the Office for the Aging to implement cost sharing for certain programs, excluding low-income individuals.
Why it matters
Allows the Office for the Aging to introduce cost sharing (requiring some participants to pay part of the cost) for state- and federally-funded aging programs, but only where federal law permits. This could affect eligibility and affordability for some older adults, depending on their income.
Mandates that any cost share payments collected must be used to expand, not replace, existing program funding,. which is meant to ensure that these payments help add new or improved services rather than simply reducing the government’s contribution.
Specifies that individuals with incomes at or below 250% of the federal poverty line are exempt from cost sharing,. protecting lower-income seniors from additional out-of-pocket costs, but potentially imposing new costs on middle-income participants.
Blocks the use of these participant payments to count toward any required matching funds for federal or state grants,. meaning agencies can’t use the money to meet their matching obligations and must find other funds for that purpose.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Cost Sharing for Seniors
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to aging
- Referred to aging
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5391
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 24, 2017
Introduced by Sen. SERINO -- (at request of the Office for the Aging) -read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging
AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to authorizing participant cost sharing
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 203 of the elder law is amended by adding a new subdivision 12 to read as follows:
12. The director is hereby authorized to develop participant cost sharing protocols for all programs administered by the office that are funded by a state appropriation and/or by federal appropriation to the extent permissible by federal law. Cost share payments received by any entity that administers or operates such programs, including the designated agency, as defined in paragraph (a) of subdivision one of section two hundred fourteen of this title, and the designated agency's contractors, shall be used to supplement, not supplant, funds by state and/or federal appropriation. Cost share payments received under this subdivision shall be used by the designated agency to expand services provided by the designated agency or its subcontractors under such programs. To the extent that a match is required, the cost share received under this provision may not be applied towards such match. Participant cost sharing shall not apply to individuals with incomes at or below two hundred fifty percent of the federal poverty line.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10001-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Purpose of the bill
This bill would authorize the New York State Office for the Aging (SOFA) to implement participant cost sharing for programs administered by NYSOFA that are funded by a state appropriation and/or by federal appropriation to the extent permissible by federal law.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill would amend Elder L. § 203(12) to authorize the Director of NYSOFA to develop participant cost sharing protocols for programs administered by NYSOFA that are funded by a state appropriation and/or by federal appropriation to the extent permissible by federal law. Cost share payments received by an area agency on aging directly or by contract shall be used to supplement, not supplant, funds by state and/or federal appropriation. Cost share payments received must be used by the local area agency on aging to expand services provided by or through the area agency on aging. To the extent that a match is required, the cost share received under this subdivision may not be applied towards such match. Participate cost sharing shall not be applied to individuals with incomes at or below 250% of the federal poverty line.
Section 2 of the bill would require the act to take effect immediately.
Justification
In 2000, the Federal Administration on Aging authorized States to implement cost-sharing for certain federal Older Americans Act programs. Subsequent state legislation authorized NYSOFA to utilize this authority for federal programs that it administers, but it is yet authorized to implement cost-sharing for state funded programs and services.
Due to the growth of the aging population and the need to provide services be provided in the most integrated setting, implementing cost-sharing for middle and higher income older adults is necessary in order to continue to meet current needs and the anticipated growth in demand for services as the population ages. NYSOFA's largest program, EISEP, is already statutorily required to be a cost-sharing program and its design and implementation, which has been a tremendous success, will be used as the model to expand cost-sharing to other state funded programs. In order for NYSOFA and the aging network to fulfill its mission to serve older adults and their caregivers, an opportunity should be developed and offered to the designated agencies to allow middle and higher income individuals to contribute partially, or in full, to services that they can benefit from. Participant cost sharing will not be applied to individuals with incomes below 250% of the federal poverty line.
Prior legislative history
None.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.