What's happening
This bill allows managed care enrollees access to podiatric services at certain licensed academic foot centers in New York.
Why it matters
Expands access to specialized foot care for Medicaid managed care enrollees. by allowing them to receive podiatric services at academic-affiliated diagnostic and treatment centers licensed under state health law, which could lead to earlier intervention and better health outcomes for conditions affecting mobility.
Requires detailed annual reporting. from these centers on the number and type of patient visits—including breakdowns by Medicaid status, managed care enrollment, podiatric benefit coverage, and uninsured patients—potentially increasing transparency and informing future policy decisions about podiatric care access.
Addresses potential gaps in podiatric service availability. for managed care patients, ensuring that those who might not otherwise have access due to insurance arrangements can obtain needed foot care at qualified academic institutions, which may also support educational and research missions.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Foot Care Access
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.
Expand Foot Clinic Access
In Assembly Committee · Health · Sponsor Robert J. Rodriguez
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2076
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 22, 2019
Introduced by Sen. BENJAMIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to providing managed care enrollees access to the services of the foot center of New York
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Clause (F) of subparagraph (iii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 4 of section 364-j of the social services law, as relettered by chapter 37 of the laws of 2010, is relettered clause (G) and a new clause (F) is added to read as follows:
(F) the services are podiatric services and are provided by a diagnostic and treatment center licensed by article twenty-eight of the public health law which is affiliated with an academic podiatric center which has been granted an operating certificate pursuant to article twentyeight of the public health law to provide such podiatric services. Any diagnostic and treatment center providing podiatric services pursuant to this clause shall prior to June first of each year report to the governor, temporary president of the senate and speaker of the assembly on the following: the total number of visits made by medical assistance recipients during the immediately preceding calendar year; the number of visits made by medical assistance recipients during the immediately preceding calendar year by recipients who were enrolled in managed care programs; the number of visits made by medical assistance recipients during the immediately preceding calendar year by recipients who were enrolled in managed care programs that provide podiatric benefits as a covered service; and the number of visits made by the uninsured during the immediately preceding calendar year; or
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately, provided however, that the amendments to section 364-j of the social services law made by section one of this act shall not affect the repeal of such section and shall be deemed to be repealed therewith.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06916-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to providing managed care enrollees access to the services of the foot center of New York
Purpose
Provides managed care enrollees access to the services of the foot center of New York.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Amends the following: Re-letters paragraph (f) of subpara- graph (iii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 4 of section 364-j to (G) and adds a new clause (F) to mandate the reporting of services provided at an academic podiatry center. Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately, provided however, that the amendment to section 364-j of the social services law made by sections one and two of this act shall not affect the repeal of such section and shall be deemed to be repealed therewith..
Justification
The affordability and accessibility of podiatric services such as those provided by an academic podiatry center is a lifeline for residents in low-income communities like Harlem where the many fight diabetes while they are on some form of public assistance. Podiatric care can be an important way for people to manage their diabetes, which is a serious public health problem.
More than half a million adult New Yorkers have been diagnosed with diabetes but an additional 200,000 have diabetes but do not yet know it. Diabetes and diabetes-associated cardiovascular disease are leading causes of death in NYC.
These figures are worse in East Harlem where residents have up to 5 times the mortality rates of diabetes as compared with NYC residents overall, and very many individuals are on Medicaid or Medicare, or unin- sured. Given these alarming facts, providing affordable and accessible care at podiatry clinics such as Foot Care Center of New York-the only podiatric clinic in upper Manhattan-is a citywide imperative. Under the Managed Long Term Care reform enrollees have lost access to the podiatry clinic. Some can have been able to receive care at a distant location. Some receive care in an emergency room when their condition has gone go undetected or untreated for too long. "Free access" means that managed care plan enrollees are free to access these clinics, regardless of whether the clinic is in their plans network and without the plans prior approval.
Currently, the State allows free access to managed care enrollees at the SUNY College of Optometry as well as academic dental centers-but not for academic podiatry centers. According to the State Department of Health Commissioner "free access requirements are pursuant to statute and are not under the purview of the Department. This legislation amends the Social Service Law to close this diasparity and provide equity for the sole purpose of preserving the accessibility and affordability of the specialty services which combat diabetes provided at the limited number of podiatric clinics, like an academic podiatry center.
Legislative history
2017-18: A8762 2015-16: S.3384/A1054 Vetoed memo 215 (10/26/15).
Fiscal implications
None
Local fiscal implications
None
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.