What's happening
This bill allows Medicaid reimbursement for emergency medical triage services delivered by telemedicine to improve access and reduce ER visits.
Why it matters
Expands Medicaid coverage to tele-triage services. By requiring Medicaid to reimburse emergency medicine triage via telemedicine, the bill could encourage more providers to offer urgent care remotely, making it easier for patients to get quick medical advice without traveling.
Aims to reduce strain on emergency departments. By allowing acute, but non-life-threatening, cases to be triaged and managed remotely, the bill could help prevent unnecessary ER visits, freeing up resources for true emergencies and potentially shortening wait times.
Defines provider qualifications and oversight. The bill specifies that only credentialed physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, or other state-approved providers can offer these services, ensuring that remote triage maintains a high standard of care.
Incentivizes cost savings for local governments. Any savings realized from reduced ER utilization are to be shared with local social service districts, giving counties and municipalities a financial stake in making the program work.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Emergency Telemedicine Access
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to health
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8227
IN SENATE
April 27, 2020
Introduced by Sens. JORDAN, BORRELLO -- 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 emergency medicine triage delivery of services
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature hereby finds and declares that telemedicine technology has vastly expanded access to health care for New York State residents while maintaining the utmost quality of care. Technological advancements have succeeded in bringing health care to those typically unable to access care thus improving continuity of care. It is the intent of the legislature to expand these initiatives to include emergency medical triage services within the Medicaid program to reduce unnecessary emergency department admissions while maintaining the quality care New York State residents deserve. Emergency medical triage allows individuals to obtain health care services for acute medical emergencies with emergency department physicians through available technology for diagnosis, treatment, prescriptions, triage, appropriate labs and imaging and patient followup. These services will help to reduce the burden on hospital emergency departments, which are oftentimes the first point of access to care for members of the community.
§ 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 29-H to read as follows:
ARTICLE 29-H
EMERGENCY MEDICINE TRIAGE Section 2999-ee. Definitions.
2999-ff. Emergency medicine triage delivery of services.
§ 2999-ee. Definitions. As used in this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
1. "Distant site" means a site at which an emergency medicine triage provider is located while delivering health care services by means of emergency medicine triage.
2. "Emergency medicine triage provider" means:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14596-02-0
S. 8227 2
(a) a physician licensed pursuant to article one hundred thirty-one of the education law and credentialed by a regional emergency medical advisory committee;
(b) a physician assistant licensed pursuant to article one hundred thirty-one-B of the education law under the direct supervision of a regional emergency medical advisory committee credentialed physician;
(c) a nurse practitioner licensed pursuant to article one hundred thirty-nine of the education law under the direct supervision of a regional emergency medical advisory committee credentialed physician; and
(d) any other provider as determined by the commissioner pursuant to regulation.
3. "Originating site" means a site at which a patient is located at the time health care services are delivered to him or her by means of emergency medicine triage.
4. "Emergency medicine triage" means the use of electronic communication technologies by emergency medicine triage providers for the purpose of triaging a patient's level of medical severity and to deliver health care services, which may include assessment, diagnosis, treatment and referral, when an acute medical emergency occurs.
§ 2999-ff. Emergency medicine triage delivery of services. Health care services delivered by means of emergency medicine triage shall be entitled to reimbursement under section three hundred sixty-seven-u of the social services law.
§ 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary, the commissioner of health is authorized to approve social services district use of emergency medicine triage delivery services to improve the delivery of quality health care services in a cost-effective manner. The commissioner shall evaluate the results of utilization of such program, including any savings resulting therefrom. Any such savings, after certification by the director of the division of the budget, shall be shared equally with the applicable social services districts to offset the participating social services district's yearly net share of medical assistance expenditures in a manner to be determined jointly by the commissioner of health and the director of the division of the budget.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
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 emergency medicine triage delivery of services
Summary of provisions
Section 1 provides for legislative intent.
Section 2 adds a new Section 29-H to the public health law outlining and defining the parameters of emergency medicine triage programs. It also provides that said services are reimbursable under Section 367-U of the social services law, which allows for payment for home telehealth services.
Section 3 allows the counties, through social services demonstration programs, to share in the savings achieved in the Medicaid program as a result of utilizing emergency medicine triage.
Section 4 sets forth the effective date.
Justification
In recent years, telemedicine technology has vastly expanded access to health care for New York State residents while maintaining a very high quality of care. Technological advancements have succeeded in bringing health care to those typically unable to access care thus improving continuity of care. In 2019, Rensselaer County took another step by developing a "virtual emergency room" system, which allows medical personnel to instantly triage conditions that would otherwise be emer- gency room visits for the Medicaid population. In these cases, personnel are often able to prevent an emergency room visit altogether, and in the cases that require emergency care they are able to directly connect with county 911 dispatch. The reduction of physical emergency room visits will not only reduce hospital congestion and improve access to care, but it will also likely save Rensselaer County and its residents a consider- able amount in the Medicaid program.
The program operated by Rensselaer County is a model for localities throughout the rest of the State to follow, and New York State should act proactively to encourage and further incentivize adoption of this innovative technique. This bill specifically achieves these by two means; not only does it solidify the status of virtual ER programs as reimbursable telemedicine programs, but it also creates a financial incentive for counties to participate. Specifically, it allows counties to share with the state savings achieved as a result of reduced utiliza- tion in the Medicaid program.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
Potential for considerable savings.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.