NY State Senate Bill 2023-S1476

Senate Bill S1476

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Requires not-for-profit hospitals inform patients that low to moderate income persons may qualify for help with medical bills through such hospitals charitable programs

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to health
Jan 12, 2023	referred to health

co-Sponsors

2023-S1476 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6576
Current Committee:: Senate Health
Law Section:: Public Health Law
Laws Affected:: Add §2803-bb, Pub Health L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:: S8885, A10639

2023-S1476 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires not-for-profit hospitals inform patients that low to moderate-income persons may qualify for help with medical bills through such hospitals' charitable programs by disclosing such information to patients, posting such information conspicuously, and through social workers.

2023-S1476 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1476

SPONSOR: PERSAUD
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring not-for-
profit hospitals inform patients that low to moderate-income persons may
qualify for help with medical bills through such hospitals charitable
programs

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of the bill is to minimize the costs of medical care for
people with low to moderate incomes.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill adds a new § 2803-bb to the public health law to
inform patients of all charitable programs available to low to moderate
income persons in order to help minimize the costs of their medical
care.

Section 2 of the bill is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Medical care in the United States is extremely expensive, causing people
to have loans in order to pay for their medical care. A study conducted
by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that one in ten US adults owe at
least two-hundred and fifty dollars in medical debt.  Health care is an
essential part of one's life in order to maintain a healthy life, but it
can be incredibly hard to afford health care coverage and even harder to
pay for medical care if they do not have any health coverage.

By requiring hospitals to share any financial assistance a patient can
apply for we aim to minimize their medical expenses, also decreasing the
number of people who go in debt to pay for the ir medical care.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021/2022: S8885 Referred to Health

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None noted.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundredth and twentieth day after
it shall have become a law.

2023-S1476 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1476
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 12, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. PERSAUD, COMRIE -- 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 requiring not-for-
   profit hospitals inform patients that low to  moderate-income  persons
   may  qualify for help with medical bills through such hospitals chari-
   table programs
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  public health law is amended by adding a new section
 2803-bb to read as follows:
   § 2803-BB. DISCLOSURE OF CHARITABLE PROGRAMS.  ALL HOSPITALS ORGANIZED
 PURSUANT TO THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION LAW OR WHICH MEETS THE QUALI-
 FICATIONS OF SECTION 501(C)(3) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE SHALL:
   (A) DISCLOSE TO ALL PATIENTS AND ANY  PATIENT'S  AUTHORIZED  REPRESEN-
 TATIVE  THAT SUCH HOSPITAL HAS CHARITABLE PROGRAMS FOR LOW AND MODERATE-
 INCOME PERSONS TO HELP WITH MEDICAL BILLS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
 THE CHARITABLE PROGRAMS INFORMATION AND  CONTACT  INFORMATION  REGARDING
 SUCH PROGRAMS.
   (B)  POST  CONSPICUOUSLY  ON SUCH HOSPITAL'S WEBSITE, LOBBY AREAS, AND
 OTHER AREAS WHERE PATIENTS COULD VIEW THE POST THAT  SUCH  HOSPITAL  HAS
 CHARITABLE  PROGRAMS  FOR  LOW  AND MODERATE-INCOME PERSONS TO HELP WITH
 MEDICAL BILLS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED  TO,  THE  CHARITABLE  PROGRAMS
 INFORMATION AND CONTACT INFORMATION REGARDING SUCH PROGRAMS.
   (C) POST CONSPICUOUSLY ON THE FIRST PAGE OF ANY MEDICAL BILL ISSUED BY
 SUCH  HOSPITAL AND ON ANY INTAKE DOCUMENT, INCLUDING ELECTRONIC, DIGITAL
 OR ANY OTHER METHOD USED BY SUCH HOSPITAL FOR  SUCH  DOCUMENTS,  IN  THE
 SAME  FONT  SIZE AND FORMAT AS SUCH BILL OR INTAKE DOCUMENT, AS APPLICA-
 BLE, A NOTICE  THAT SUCH HOSPITAL HAS CHARITABLE PROGRAMS  FOR  LOW  AND
 MODERATE-INCOME  PERSONS  TO  HELP WITH MEDICAL BILLS INCLUDING, BUT NOT
 LIMITED TO, THE CHARITABLE PROGRAMS INFORMATION AND CONTACT  INFORMATION
 REGARDING SUCH PROGRAMS.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01742-01-3

 S. 1476                             2
 
   (D)  INFORM ALL SOCIAL WORKERS IN SUCH HOSPITAL THAT SUCH HOSPITAL HAS
 CHARITABLE PROGRAMS FOR LOW AND MODERATE-INCOME  PERSONS  TO  HELP  WITH
 MEDICAL  BILLS  INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT LIMITED TO, THE CHARITABLE PROGRAMS
 INFORMATION AND CONTACT INFORMATION REGARDING  SUCH  PROGRAMS  AND  SUCH
 SOCIAL WORKERS SHALL DISCLOSE SUCH INFORMATION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
 completed on or before such effective date.

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Senate Bill S1476

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Sponsored By

Roxanne J. Persaud