What's happening
This bill allows New York's Office for the Aging to implement optional private pay protocols for services, with protections for low-income participants.
Why it matters
Expands funding options for aging services. By allowing area agencies on aging to accept private payments, the bill enables these agencies to generate new revenue streams, which must be used to supplement (not replace) existing public funding. This could lead to enhanced or expanded services for older adults.
Protects access for low-income seniors. The bill explicitly prohibits requiring payments from individuals with incomes below 400% of the federal poverty level, ensuring that lower-income participants are not excluded or burdened by new fees.
Ensures continuity of care. No current participant—regardless of income—will have to pay for services they are already receiving when a private pay protocol is first implemented, protecting vulnerable seniors from sudden out-of-pocket costs.
Local flexibility and federal compliance. Area agencies can choose whether or not to implement these private pay protocols, and the protocols cannot be applied to services funded by federal dollars, ensuring compliance with federal funding rules and allowing adaptation to community needs.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Seniors Pay for Services
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
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History
- Referred to aging
- Referred to aging
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6906
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 25, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Aging
AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to authorizing private pay protocols for programs administered by the office for the aging
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 implement private pay protocols for all programs administered by the office. Such protocols may be implemented by area agencies on aging at such agencies' option and such protocols may not be applied to clients whose services are paid for with federal funds or funds designated as federal match. All private payments received directly by an area agency on aging, or indirectly by one of its contractors shall be used to supplement, not supplant, funds by state, federal, or county appropriations. Private pay payments received under this subdivision shall be used by the area agency on aging to support and/or enhance services and/or programs provided by the area agency on aging. Participant payments under this subdivision shall not be required of individuals with incomes below four hundred percent of the federal poverty level. No participant, regardless of income, shall be required to pay for any service that they are receiving at the time these protocols are implemented by the area agency on aging. This subdivision shall not prevent cost sharing for the programs established pursuant to section two hundred fourteen of this title for individuals below four hundred percent of the federal poverty level.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10817-01-9
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.