What's happening
This bill allows the state to increase funding and adjust payment rates to recruit and retain home care and hospice workers in shortage areas and disciplines.
Why it matters
Addresses workforce shortages by allowing targeted financial incentives. The bill empowers the state to increase payment rates specifically for home care and hospice providers facing staffing shortages, focusing on disciplines like nursing, therapy, and personal care, which are experiencing recruitment and retention challenges.
Expands use of funds for non-wage supports. Beyond wage increases, the bill authorizes pilot programs to use funds for critical worker supports such as transportation, childcare, education, peer support, and career advancement. This holistic approach could make these jobs more attractive and sustainable for workers.
Requires evaluation and stakeholder input. The state health commissioner must report on the effectiveness of these measures in improving recruitment and retention, and gather feedback from providers, workers, and consumers—potentially leading to future policy improvements based on real-world outcomes.
Enables flexible, responsive funding. By allowing unspent funds from related programs to be redirected and used for these adjustments, the bill increases the state’s ability to quickly address urgent labor shortages where they arise, without waiting for new appropriations.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Boost Home Care Staffing
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.
Support Home Care Workers
In Senate Committee · Health · Sponsor Susan Serino
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6768
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 19, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to home care and hospice worker shortage areas and disciplines
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 3614 of the public health law is amended by adding a new subdivision 9-a to read as follows:
9-a. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this section, effective for annual periods beginning April first, two thousand nineteen, and for each annual period thereafter, the commissioner is authorized, subject to the availability of federal financial participation and upon approval of the state director of the budget, to further adjust medical assistance rates of payment for certified home health agencies, managed long term care plans, hospices, long term home health care programs, licensed home care services agencies providing services under contract with such agencies and plans, and such other entities qualifying under subdivision nine of this section, targeted for recruitment, training and retention of direct care workers for services in shortage areas and by shortage disciplines which may include nurses, therapists, social workers, home health aides and personal care aides.
The commissioner is further authorized to provide such adjustments to pilot test the impact on recruitment and retention of allowing funds to be used for critical supports and incentives for direct care personnel, including transportation, education, training, child day care, career ladder, peer support, and other supports which the commissioner may determine.
Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of section twenty-eight hundred seven-v of this chapter, funds for such adjustments may be made available, upon the approval of the state budget director, from any unexpended funds and balances available under such section, and in annu-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07311-01-9
A. 6768 2
al amounts of up to thirty percent of the aggregate level specified for adjustments under subdivision nine of this section.
On or before April first, two thousand twenty-one, the commissioner shall submit information to the governor and legislature on the effectiveness of the program in recruitment and retention of direct care home care personnel, and in addressing community need, and shall make recommendations for the continuation or modification of the program. The commissioner shall seek the input of representatives of the providers, plans, consumers and workers in examining and reporting on the program.
§ 2. Subdivision 1 of section 2807-v of the public health law is amended by adding a new paragraph (jjj) to read as follows:
(jjj) Funds may be made available, from any unexpended funds and balances under this section, for rate adjustments authorized under subdivision nine-a of section thirty-six hundred fourteen of this chapter, which shall not exceed the amount specified in such subdivision.
§ 3. 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.