What's happening
This bill ensures seniors do not lose eligibility for pharmaceutical insurance solely due to cost-of-living increases in pensions or Social Security.
Why it matters
Protects seniors from losing essential drug coverage. due to minor annual increases in Social Security or pension income, ensuring continued access to necessary medications despite small cost-of-living adjustments.
Recognizes that inflation adjustments aren't real gains. by exempting income increases tied to the Consumer Price Index, acknowledging that these do not improve purchasing power and shouldn't disqualify seniors from benefits.
Reduces administrative churn and uncertainty. for elderly individuals who might otherwise be forced to reapply or lose coverage year-to-year due to automatic federal or pension adjustments, promoting greater stability in healthcare planning.
Targets a real-world problem for fixed-income retirees. , addressing fears that minor, routine benefit increases could unintentionally push them just over eligibility thresholds for crucial prescription assistance.
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
Protect Seniors’ Drug Benefits
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Assembly Member · Assembly District 44
33 Co-sponsors
- Michael Benedetto
- Peter Abbate
- William Colton
- Richard Gottfried
- Ellen C. Jaffee
- Crystal Peoples-Stokes
- Jose Rivera
- Linda Rosenthal
- Aileen Gunther
- Michael G. Miller
- Felix Ortiz
- Angelo Santabarbara
- Albert A. Stirpe
- Didi Barrett
- Steven Englebright
- Walter T. Mosley
- Michael Blake
- Inez E. Dickens
- Nader Sayegh
- Marianne Buttenschon
- Mathylde Frontus
- Carmen E. Arroyo
- Anthony D'Urso
- Catalina Cruz
- Charles Fall
- Jeffrey Dinowitz
- Marcos Crespo
- Gary Finch
- Clifford Crouch
- Michael Montesano
- Andrew Raia
- Charles Barron
- Judy Griffin
History
- Print number 3145c
- Amend and recommit to ways and means
- Referred to ways and means
- Print number 3145b
- Amend and recommit to ways and means
- Print number 3145a
- Amend and recommit to ways and means
- Reported referred to ways and means
- Referred to aging
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.
Protect Seniors' Prescription Benefits
In Assembly Committee · Ways And Means · Sponsor Jamaal Bailey
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3145--C
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 28, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. CARROLL, BENEDETTO, ABBATE, COLTON, GOTTFRIED, JAFFEE, PEOPLES-STOKES, RIVERA, L. ROSENTHAL, GUNTHER, M. G. MILLER, ORTIZ, SANTABARBARA, STIRPE, BARRETT, ENGLEBRIGHT, MOSLEY, BLAKE, DICKENS, SAYEGH, BUTTENSCHON, FRONTUS, ARROYO, D'URSO,… Show allHide
Introduced by M. of A. CARROLL, BENEDETTO, ABBATE, COLTON, GOTTFRIED, JAFFEE, PEOPLES-STOKES, RIVERA, L. ROSENTHAL, GUNTHER, M. G. MILLER, ORTIZ, SANTABARBARA, STIRPE, BARRETT, ENGLEBRIGHT, MOSLEY, BLAKE, DICKENS, SAYEGH, BUTTENSCHON, FRONTUS, ARROYO, D'URSO, CRUZ, FALL, DINOWITZ, FINCH, CROUCH, MONTESANO, BARRON, GRIFFIN -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK, CUSICK, DenDEKKER, GLICK, MALLIOTAKIS, PERRY, SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Aging -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- again reported from said committee with amendments, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- recommitted to the Committee on Aging in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to eligibility under the program for elderly pharmaceutical insurance coverage
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 242 of the elder law is amended by adding a new paragraph (i) to read as follows:
(i) An individual who is determined to be eligible for assistance under this article shall not become ineligible based upon income solely because of an increase in either a public or private pension or an increase in social security benefits as provided under federal law where such increase does not exceed the consumer price index (all items United States city average) for such year.
§ 2. This act shall take effect April 1, 2021.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02009-08-0
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.