What's happening
This bill requires New York to reimburse rural critical access hospitals at 101% of reasonable costs for certain services, subject to funding.
Why it matters
Ensures financial stability for rural critical access hospitals. , which are often at risk of closure due to low patient volumes and high operating costs—potentially preserving essential healthcare access in underserved areas.
Links state reimbursement rates to a percentage above actual reasonable costs. (101%), which could help these hospitals cover shortfalls typically not addressed by standard payment models, improving their ability to invest in staffing, equipment, and facilities.
Aligns state Medicaid payments with federal Medicare methodologies. , reducing administrative complexity and making funding more predictable for hospitals, while also acknowledging the unique financial challenges faced by rural providers.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Fund Rural Critical Hospitals
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
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.
Fund Rural Critical Access Hospitals
In Senate Committee · Health · Sponsor Pamela Helming
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4561
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to payments to rural hospitals designated as critical access hospitals
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2-a of section 2807 of the public health law is amended by adding a new paragraph (j) to read as follows:
(j) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subdivision or any other provision of law to the contrary and, subject to an appropriation therefor, on and after April first, two thousand twenty-one, rates of payment for diagnostic and treatment center services, emergency services, general hospital inpatient and outpatient services, ambulatory surgical services and referred ambulatory services, provided by a rural hospital designated as a critical access hospital in accordance with title XVIII of the federal social security act shall be equal to one hundred one percent of the reasonable costs of a facility in providing such services to patients eligible for payments made in accordance with this subdivision. Reasonable costs shall be determined in a manner consistent with that used to determine payment for outpatient critical access hospital services provided to beneficiaries of title XVIII of the federal social security act. For facilities without adequate cost experience, such rates shall be based on budgeted costs subsequently adjusted to one hundred one percent of reasonable actual costs.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that the implementation of the provisions of this act shall be subject to the appropriation of moneys specifically for the purposes thereof.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01253-01-9
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.