Assembly Bill A4801

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4801
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. E. BROWN, JENSEN -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Health
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  public  health  law,  in  relation  to Medicaid
   reimbursement rates for early intervention services
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1. Subdivision 2 of section 2557 of the public health law, as
 amended by chapter 820 of the laws  of  2021,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   2. The department shall reimburse the approved costs paid by a munici-
 pality  for the purposes of this title, other than those reimbursable by
 the medical assistance program, in an amount of  fifty  percent  of  the
 amount  expended  in  accordance  with  the rules and regulations of the
 commissioner; provided, however, that in the discretion of  the  depart-
 ment  and with the approval of the director of the division of the budg-
 et, the department may reimburse municipalities  in  an  amount  greater
 than  fifty  percent  of  the amount expended; PROVIDED, FURTHER, ON AND
 AFTER APRIL FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL  REIM-
 BURSE  MUNICIPALITIES  IN  AN  AMOUNT OF SIXTY-SIX PERCENT OR MORE. Such
 state reimbursement to the municipality shall not be paid prior to April
 first of the year in which the approved costs are paid  by  the  munici-
 pality,  provided, however that, subject to the approval of the director
 of the budget, the department may pay such state  aid  reimbursement  to
 the municipality prior to such date.
   §  2. Section 2559 of the public health law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 6 to read as follows:
   6. ON AND AFTER APRIL FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE, THE COMMISSION-
 ER SHALL REVIEW THE RATES OF REIMBURSEMENT MADE THROUGH THE EARLY INTER-
 VENTION PROGRAM FOR RATE ADEQUACY. THE REVIEW SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT  BE
 LIMITED TO:

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04680-01-5
 A. 4801                             2
              

 
   (A)  A  COMPREHENSIVE  ASSESSMENT  OF THE EXISTING METHODOLOGY USED TO
 DETERMINE  PAYMENT  FOR  EARLY  INTERVENTION  SCREENINGS,   EVALUATIONS,
 SERVICES AND SERVICE COORDINATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
   (I)  ANALYSIS  OF EARLY INTERVENTION RULES, REGULATIONS, AND POLICIES,
 INCLUDING POLICIES, PROCESSES, AND REVENUE SOURCES;
   (II) ANALYSIS OF COSTS TO PROVIDERS PARTICIPATING IN THE EARLY  INTER-
 VENTION  PROGRAM,  INCLUDING TIME AND COST OF TRAVEL, SERVICE PROVISION,
 AND ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES; AND
   (III) ANALYSIS BY DISCIPLINE AND LABOR REGION  OF  SALARY  LEVELS  FOR
 INDIVIDUALS PROVIDING EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES COMPARED TO THE SALARY
 LEVELS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN THE SAME DISCIPLINES AND LABOR REGIONS PROVID-
 ING SERVICES OTHER THAN IN THE EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM; AND
   (B)  RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MAINTAINING OR CHANGING REIMBURSEMENT METHOD-
 OLOGIES. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL MAKE  SUCH  RECOMMENDATIONS  WITHIN  ONE
 YEAR  OF  THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION. COPIES OF SUCH RECOMMENDA-
 TIONS SHALL BE SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE
 SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, AND THE CHAIRS OF  THE  SENATE  AND
 ASSEMBLY  COMMITTEES ON HEALTH, AND SHALL POST THE REPORT ON THE DEPART-
 MENT'S WEBSITE.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.