BILL NUMBER:  S4881

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to rates for
telehealth services provided by certified home health agencies, long
term home health care programs and AIDS home care services


 PURPOSE :
To ensure that licensed home care service agencies have appropriate
access to reimbursement under the medical assistance program.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :
Section one amends subdivision 3-c of section 3614 of the public
health law.

 JUSTIFICATION :
Home and community-based care services provide essential access to
health care. The diversity of the services available and the
flexibility of the service delivery setting bring health care to
people who may not otherwise access services. It also brings wellness
services, disease management, and health education to people
throughout the continuum of care, which helps prevent their entry into
more expensive and overburdened sectors of the health care system.

New York needs to encourage and embrace initiatives and proposals that
              

promote the use of new technologies, allow for flexibility and create
more efficient and cost-effective means of providing home and
community-based care. Tele-health, the use of communication and
information technology to deliver home care services and health
education over geographical distances, has begun to revolutionize the
way home care services are delivered. Telehealth can assist in the
delivery of high quality health care services to a wide variety of
patients.

Through long-distance monitoring of patients, Tele-health can be
particularly helpful in providing patient care in remote areas and, in
light of the current nursing shortage, allows nurses to use their time
more judiciously while improving access to quality of care. With a
growing population of elderly, disabled and chronically ill
individuals, tele-health can help home care agencies identify problems
before they need significant medical intervention and prevent costly
hospitalizations and repeated physician and emergency room visits.
Tele-health also empowers patients to take an active role in their
health care. The new law for reimbursement of tele-health services
under the medical assistance program (Medicaid), however, is too
limiting because the language in the budget did not include licensed
home care services agencies (LHCSAs) as a direct category of provider
for the reimbursement demonstrations. Many LHCSAs are currently
involved in telemedicine and/or the recent DOH grants, but would be
unable to participate directly in this next phase of the development
of these important services. This legislation clarifies the law to
ensure that LHCSAs have appropriate access to this reimbursement under
existing state and/or federal health programs

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
2007-2008: A.11614 Died in Assembly Health Committee

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
To be determined.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.