What's happening
This bill allows certain addiction treatment centers to provide and be reimbursed for mental health and health care services to those admitted for substance use disorders.
Why it matters
Integrates mental health and general health care into addiction treatment. The bill allows addiction treatment centers to directly treat mental health and physical health issues for people admitted for substance use disorders, recognizing that these needs are often intertwined and require coordinated care.
Ensures insurance reimbursement for expanded services. By mandating that Medicaid and private insurance cover these additional mental health and health care services, the bill aims to reduce financial barriers that might otherwise prevent treatment centers from addressing all of a patient’s needs.
Requires qualified professionals for specialized care. The legislation stipulates that only professionals whose legal scope includes diagnosing and treating mental health or health care issues can provide these services, aiming to maintain high standards of care and patient safety.
Facilitates regulatory compliance and patient safety. The bill calls for oversight and coordination with New York’s Office of Mental Health and Department of Health to ensure that new services comply with existing rules, and clarifies that patients whose needs exceed a center’s capacity can still be transferred to more appropriate facilities.
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Who cares
Patients admitted for substance use disorders
The bill would authorize the listed addiction treatment centers to treat their mental health and health care needs, while preserving transfers when those needs exceed a center’s treatment capacity.
State addiction treatment centers
The listed facilities would be authorized to provide these services using professionals whose scopes of practice cover the required diagnosis and treatment.
Medicaid and private insurers
The bill would make mental health and health care services provided under this authorization reimbursable by Medicaid and private insurance.
Office of Mental Health and Department of Health
The office overseeing the centers would have to consult with these agencies to ensure compliance with their applicable rules and regulations.
Headline styles
Treat Addiction Patients’ Mental Health
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to alcoholism and drug abuse
- Referred to alcoholism and drug abuse
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
856
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by M. of A. STECK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. LEVENBERG -- read once and referred to the Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to authorizing certain facilities to provide treatment for the mental health and health care needs of individuals admitted for a substance use disorder
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision (f) of section 19.17 of the mental hygiene law, as amended by section 1 of part K of chapter 58 of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
(f) There shall be in the office the facilities named below for the care, treatment and rehabilitation of the mentally disabled and for clinical research and teaching in the science and skills required for the care, treatment and rehabilitation of such mentally disabled. Such facilities are authorized to provide treatment for the mental health and health care needs of individuals admitted for a substance use disorder, provided, further, that the mental health and health care services shall be reimbursable by Medicaid and private insurance. Mental health services shall be provided by a professional whose scope of practice includes the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. Health care services shall be provided by a health care professional whose scope of practice includes diagnosing and treating human responses to actual or potential health problems. The office shall consult with the office of mental health and the department of health to assure that applicable rules and regulations of such agencies are complied with. Nothing in this section shall preclude these facilities from transferring a person to a different facility in the event the person's mental health or health care needs are deemed to exceed the treatment capacity of such facility.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03398-01-5
R.E. Blaisdell Addiction Treatment Center
Bronx Addiction Treatment Center
C.K. Post Addiction Treatment Center
Creedmoor Addiction Treatment Center
Dick Van Dyke Addiction Treatment Center
Kingsboro Addiction Treatment Center
McPike Addiction Treatment Center
Richard C. Ward Addiction Treatment Center
J.L. Norris Addiction Treatment Center
South Beach Addiction Treatment Center
St. Lawrence Addiction Treatment Center
Stutzman Addiction Treatment Center
§ 2. 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.