What's happening
This bill adds assisted living programs to the types of Medicaid providers eligible for vital access funding and enhanced payments.
Why it matters
Expanding eligibility to assisted living programs could help stabilize providers that serve vulnerable populations, especially seniors who may be at risk if facilities close due to financial challenges.
By including assisted living programs in both vital access and enhanced payment systems, the bill recognizes their role as essential safety net providers—potentially reducing hospitalizations and supporting a broader continuum of care.
This change may lead to improved quality of care and access in rural and underserved areas, where assisted living facilities often fill critical gaps in the healthcare system.
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Fund Assisted Living Programs
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.
Fund Assisted Living Programs
In Assembly Committee · Health · Sponsor William Magnarelli
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1806
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 16, 2019
Introduced by Sen. RIVERA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to Medicaid providers eligible for access funding under the vital access provider program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision (a) of section 2826 of the public health law, as added by section 27 of part C of chapter 60 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, within funds appropriated and subject to the availability of federal financial participation, the commissioner may grant approval of a temporary adjustment to the non-capital components of rates, or make temporary lump-sum Medicaid payments, to eligible general hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, clinics [and], home care providers, and assisted living programs, provided however, that should federal financial participation not be available for any eligible provider, then payments pursuant to this subdivision may be made as grants and shall not be deemed to be medical assistance payments.
§ 2. Paragraph (i) of subdivision (f) of section 2826 of the public health law, as added by section 14 of part B of chapter 57 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
(i) Providers serving rural areas as such term is defined in section two thousand nine hundred fifty-one of this chapter, including but not limited to hospitals, residential health care facilities, diagnostic and treatment centers, ambulatory surgery centers [and], clinics and assisted living programs shall be eligible for enhanced payments or reimbursement under a supplemental rate methodology for the purpose of promoting access and improving the quality of care.
§ 3. This act shall take effect April 1, 2020.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00088-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to Medicaid providers eligible for access funding under the vital access provider program
Purpose
To expand access to capital and operational funding made available to certain Medicaid providers.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends PHL § 2826 to add assisted living program providers to the list of Medicaid provider types that are eligible to receive tempo- rary adjustment to the non-capital components of rates, or temporary lump-sum Medicaid payments under the VAP program.
Section 2 amends PHL 2826 to add assisted living program providers to the list of Medicaid provider types included in the definition of providers serving rural areas.
Section 3 of the bill provides an effective date of April 1, 2018.
Justification
Recent enacted state budgets have included substantial capital and oper- ational funding for Medicaid providers in New York State through programs such as the Vital Access Provider (VAP) and health care facili- ty transformation program. However, these programs have consistently excluded certain Medicaid providers, including assisted living programs (ALPS) from accessing these funding sources. As a result, certain Medi- caid provider types are ineligible to access any funding under these programs that are designed to transform the delivery of health care in New York.
ALPs are a vitally important part of the senior housing and health care continuum for low-income, Medicaid-eligible seniors. ALPs serve persons who are medically eligible for nursing home placement, but serve them in a less medically intensive and lower cost setting. Like other Medicaid providers, ALPs are facing increased operational costs, tighter budgets, and much needed capital improvements. By continuing to exclude certain Medicaid providers from accessing funding, these providers will be unable to meet the needs of the evolving health care system, leaving the New York with less, and more expensive, options for its residents.
Legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect April 1, 2020.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.