Senate Bill S3795

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S3795

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to medicaid
reimbursement of private duty nursing services and care

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

To increase Medicaid beneficiaries access to quality health care
services by increasing Medicaid fees for private duty nursing
services.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section one of this bill would add a new Section 365-o to the Social
Services Law governing reimbursement of private duty nursing services.
The bill would allocate $15 million in State Fiscal Year (SPY)
2018-2019 to increase reimbursement under the Medicaid program for
private duty nursing services for the period July 1, 2018 to March 31,
2019. The bill would allocate $20 million for such reimbursement on
annual fiscal year basis thereafter.

 JUSTIFICATION :

The State is currently experiencing a very serious shortage in private
              

duty nursing. This shortage is due to a variety of factors including
the lowest unemployment rate in over a decade, and rates of
reimbursement in both the commercial and government sectors that have
not kept pace with market demands. In some areas of the State, the
Medicaid rates for private duty nursing have not changed in over a
decade.

The nursing shortage is making it difficult to recruit and retain
qualified nurses, particularly in specialty areas such as nursing care
for medically and technologically dependent children and adults.  This
bill would provide the resources necessary to assist in recruiting and
retaining qualified nursing care for the State's most vulnerable
population -Medicaid beneficiaries. In addition to easing the
workforce shortage in nursing and increasing access to quality care,
the bill would provide badly needed respite to family members who are
struggling to care for medically complex children and adults.  The
bill will reduce Medicaid costs over the long term by reducing
unnecessary hospitalization that are the result of a lack of access to
community care.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY SENATE :

1999-00: S.7353/A.9932 (Jacobs) - Referred to Social Services
2001-02:  S.1732/A.78 (Jacobs) - Referred to Social Services
2003-04:  S.832-A/A.1558-A (Jacobs) - Referred to Social Services
2005-06:  S.175-A/A.1182-A (Jacobs) - Referred to Social Services
2007-08:  S.124-A/A.2290-A (Jacobs) - Referred to Social Services
2009-10:  S.5040/A.692 (Jacobs) - Referred to Health
2011-12: S.980-A/A.2800-A (Jacobs) - Referred to Health
2013-14: S.3346/A.3786 (Jacobs) - Referred to Health
2015-16: S.2188 - Referred to Health

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

This bill will increase the Status share of Medicaid costs by an
estimated $15 million. However, the bill will likely decrease Medicaid
costs over the long term through the provision of more timely care and
a decrease in institutional costs.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
July 1, 2018