S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3261
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 29, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ, RIVERA, COLTON, ARROYO, PERRY -- read once
   and referred to the Committee on Aging
 
 AN  ACT  in relation to increasing access to medicines for needy seniors
   through the outreach to and enrollment of eligible Medicare  benefici-
   aries in the Medicaid program

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as  the  "medicaid
 outreach and enrollment for qualifying medicare beneficiaries program".
   §  2.  Legislative  findings  and  intent.  The  legislature finds and
 declares that almost thirty percent of medicare enrollees have no cover-
 age for pharmaceuticals. Of that number nearly twenty-five  percent  are
 living  below  the federal poverty level. Under the medicaid program the
 state of New York provides pharmaceutical coverage for qualifying  indi-
 viduals.  There are many medicare beneficiaries in New York that qualify
 for  medicaid  services  but  are  not enrolled and participating in the
 program.  The legislature further finds that the medicaid  outreach  and
 enrollment  for  qualifying medicare beneficiaries program will identify
 those medicare enrollees who are eligible for medicaid services, but are
 not participating, through outreach initiatives.
   § 3. Medicaid outreach and enrollment program. There is hereby  estab-
 lished  the  medicaid  outreach and enrollment program ("program").  The
 program shall be administered by the department of health.  The  depart-
 ment  of  health  shall implement and administer the program through the
 development of outreach initiatives to identify medicaid-eligible  medi-
 care beneficiaries who are not participating in the medicaid program and
 to promote and encourage enrollment of these eligible individuals in the
 medicaid program.  Initiatives may include, but shall not be limited to,
 mailings,   advertisements,  public  service  announcements,  literature
 dissemination and community outreach.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07458-01-9
              

 A. 3261                             2
 
   § 4. The department of health shall report to the  legislature  on  an
 annual  basis  commencing  one  year  after  the  implementation  of the
 provisions of the program. The report shall include the baseline  number
 of medicare beneficiaries who were medicaid eligible at the beginning of
 the  previous  year;  the  number of medicaid-eligible beneficiaries who
 were medicare beneficiaries who  were  targeted  via  the  program;  the
 number of medicaid-eligible medicare beneficiaries who enrolled in medi-
 caid  in a given year and any information of enrollment via the program;
 a description of the outreach initiatives utilized by the program; and a
 detailed accounting of how funding was utilized.
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.