BILL NUMBER: S4865

SPONSOR: COONEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to premium payments
for the child health insurance plan

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends subdivision 9 of section 2510 of the public health law,
as added by section 2 of part DDD of 3 chapter 56 of the laws of 2022,
to add that children who are less than four years old are also eligible
for the Child Health Plus plan, regardless of household income.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The earliest years of childhood have a great impact on the lifelong
health and well being of children. According to The Prenatal-to-3 Policy
Impact Center, the most rapid period of growth in the human brain occurs
              

during the early years of 1-3 years old and has a lasting impact on
their development into adulthood. The CDC states that "to learn and grow
appropriately, a baby's brain has to be healthy and protected from
diseases and other risks." As a result, New York State must act to
ensure that all children during this very critical stage in their devel-
opment have access to necessary health care resources that will promote
their well being as children and affect their development into adults.

Access to healthcare unfortunately can be very costly and can create
socioeconomic disparities. Inflation rates are at an all-time high, and
despite not falling under federal poverty guidelines, many families are
still left in strenuous financial positions and often aren't able to
afford premium health insurance coverages.  Consequently, many families
suffer from the lack of equitable resources in child health care
services. The right to crucial healthcare for children during this crit-
ical stage in their development should not be affected by the financial
status of their parents. As a state, we should work to eliminate any
disparities that exist within child health care and work to prevent the
perceptual nature of socioeconomic disparities within child health care.
The absence of critical health care resources for children can create
the adverse effects of likely physical and mental health difficulties in
adulthood. According to The Parental-to-3 Policy Impact Center, these
effects can include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and respiratory
and immunological disorders, as well as challenges with learning and
mental wellbeing. These are all effects that we cannot risk having the
children of our state vulnerable to. While expanding coverage of the
Child Health Plus Plan can be considered costly, it pales in comparison
to the costs associated with exposing the children of our state to these
adverse effects that last into adulthood.

Some of the critical health care services that The Child Health Plus
Plan provides to eligible children include but are not limited to:

*Well-child care

*Immunizations

*Treatment for illness or injury

*Inpatient hospital medical or surgical care

*Short-term physical therapy; occupational therapy

*Emergency care

*Emergency ground transportation

*Emergency, preventative and routine dental care.

*Limited orthodontic services are available for children with a severe
medical condition such as cleft lip or cleft palate.

*Speech and hearing services (with limits)

*Durable medical equipment.

These are all valuable health services that we cannot afford to have the
children of the empire state at the risk of not having access to because
of the economic statuses of their parents. This bill would put children
at the forefront and ensure that no children are neglected at this crit-
ical stage in their development and put at a disadvantage well into
their adulthood simply due to the lack of equitable access to health
services.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:J

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.