What's happening
This bill establishes a program to increase Medicaid enrollment among eligible Medicare beneficiaries in New York through outreach initiatives.
Why it matters
Addresses a gap in prescription drug coverage for low-income seniors. By targeting Medicare beneficiaries who are eligible for Medicaid but not enrolled, the bill aims to help those who lack pharmaceutical coverage, potentially improving health outcomes and reducing financial stress for a vulnerable population.
Proactive identification through outreach. The legislation requires the Department of Health to actively seek out eligible individuals using strategies like mailings, public announcements, and community engagement, rather than relying on passive enrollment, which could significantly boost participation.
Mandates transparency and accountability. With annual reporting to the legislature on enrollment numbers, outreach activities, and program spending, the bill ensures oversight and data-driven assessment of the program’s effectiveness, which could inform future policy decisions.
Potential to reduce healthcare costs. By enrolling more eligible seniors in Medicaid, the program may help avoid costly emergency care and hospitalizations due to untreated conditions, ultimately saving public resources and improving quality of life.
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Who cares
Medicaid-eligible Medicare beneficiaries not enrolled in Medicaid
The program would target them with outreach encouraging enrollment to help them access Medicaid services, including prescription drug coverage.
New York State Department of Health
The department would administer the program, develop outreach initiatives and report annually on enrollment, outreach methods and spending.
State legislators
They would receive annual reports tracking eligible beneficiaries, people targeted by outreach, Medicaid enrollment and how program funding was used.
Headline styles
Help Seniors Join Medicaid
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to aging
- Referred to aging
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3261
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 29, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ, RIVERA, COLTON, ARROYO, PERRY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Aging
AN ACT in relation to increasing access to medicines for needy seniors through the outreach to and enrollment of eligible Medicare beneficiaries in the Medicaid program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "medicaid outreach and enrollment for qualifying medicare beneficiaries program".
§ 2. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds and declares that almost thirty percent of medicare enrollees have no coverage for pharmaceuticals. Of that number nearly twenty-five percent are living below the federal poverty level. Under the medicaid program the state of New York provides pharmaceutical coverage for qualifying individuals. There are many medicare beneficiaries in New York that qualify for medicaid services but are not enrolled and participating in the program. The legislature further finds that the medicaid outreach and enrollment for qualifying medicare beneficiaries program will identify those medicare enrollees who are eligible for medicaid services, but are not participating, through outreach initiatives.
§ 3. Medicaid outreach and enrollment program. There is hereby established the medicaid outreach and enrollment program ("program"). The program shall be administered by the department of health. The department of health shall implement and administer the program through the development of outreach initiatives to identify medicaid-eligible medicare beneficiaries who are not participating in the medicaid program and to promote and encourage enrollment of these eligible individuals in the medicaid program. Initiatives may include, but shall not be limited to, mailings, advertisements, public service announcements, literature dissemination and community outreach.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07458-01-9
A. 3261 2
§ 4. The department of health shall report to the legislature on an annual basis commencing one year after the implementation of the provisions of the program. The report shall include the baseline number of medicare beneficiaries who were medicaid eligible at the beginning of the previous year; the number of medicaid-eligible beneficiaries who were medicare beneficiaries who were targeted via the program; the number of medicaid-eligible medicare beneficiaries who enrolled in medicaid in a given year and any information of enrollment via the program; a description of the outreach initiatives utilized by the program; and a detailed accounting of how funding was utilized.
§ 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
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.