Assembly Bill A6140

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6140
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 26, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to including doulas
   as medical services providers for Medicaid recipients;  directing  the
   commissioner  of  health  to  submit an application for amendments and
   waivers to add doulas to state Medicaid coverage;  and  directing  the
   commissioner  of health and the commissioner of the office of children
   and family services to add, amend and/or repeal any rule or regulation
   necessary for the implementation of this act
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Paragraph  (d)  of  subdivision 1 of section 364-j of the
 social services law, as amended by chapter 653 of the laws of  1997,  is
 amended to read as follows:
   (d) "Medical services provider". A physician, nurse, nurse practition-
 er,  physician  assistant, licensed midwife, DOULA, dentist, optometrist
 or other licensed health care practitioner authorized to provide medical
 assistance services.
   § 2. The commissioner of health is directed to apply  for  such  state
 Medicaid plan amendments or waivers as may be necessary to implement the
 provisions of this act and include doula care as a covered service under
 the  state  Medicaid plan, and to secure federal financial participation
 for state Medicaid expenditures for doula care under the  federal  Medi-
 caid program.
   § 3. The New York state Medicaid doula services pilot program shall be
 extended  beyond  Erie  county  and  be made accessible statewide. Local
 localities shall be given the option to opt-in or out based on a locali-
 ty's exact need for the doula pilot program. The  department  of  health
 shall conduct a yearly study of such program to examine its efficacy and
 provide  a  report  with the study's findings to the governor, temporary
 president of the senate, minority leader of the senate, speaker  of  the
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10209-01-5
              

 A. 6140                             2
 
 assembly,  and  minority  leader of the assembly.   This report shall be
 used as a tool to strengthen the program. The department  of  health  is
 directed  to  inform  the  public  about the program and provide medical
 providers  with pamphlets detailing the program and locations where it's
 being offered to distribute to patients.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that section one
 of this act shall take effect upon receipt by the commissioner of health
 of approval from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to
 include doula care as a covered service under the state  Medicaid  plan;
 provided,  further,  that  the amendments to section 364-j of the social
 services law made by section one of this act shall not affect the repeal
 of such section and shall be deemed repealed therewith. The commissioner
 of health shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon the
 occurrence of the receipt of such approval in order that the  commission
 may  maintain an accurate and timely effective data base of the official
 text of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating
 the provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b  of
 the public officers law.  Effective immediately, the addition, amendment
 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
 of  this  act  on  its  effective  date  are  authorized  to be made and
 completed on or before such effective date.