Senate Bill S997

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S997

SPONSOR: BROUK
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to the geriatric
service demonstration program to promote mental health and home care
collaboration

 
PURPOSE:

Authorizes the commissioner of the office of mental health and the
commissioner of health to waive rules and regulations of the office, and
of the department of health, respectively, to address barriers to
collaboration by mental health providers and providers of home care
services within the Geriatric Service Demonstration Program for the
purpose of coordination, integration and improved access of health and
mental health services for individuals with co-occurring mental health
and physical health needs. The barriers to collaboration addressed with-
in this legislation include: barriers related to Medical Assistance
reimbursement, service procedures, care coordination and dire care work-
er training applicable to such providers.

              

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 adds a new subdivision (c) to section 7.41 of the Mental
Hygiene Law (the Geriatric Services Demonstration Program) to authorize
the Commissioner of the Office of Mental Health and Department of Health
to waive rules and regulations to address barriers to collaboration
between mental health providers and providers of home care services
under the Geriatric Demonstration Program.

Section 2 of the bill provides for an immediate effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

This legislation adds an amendment to legislation unanimously passed and
signed by the Governor in October 2018 (chapter 305), that seeks to
promote collaboration by mental health and home health providers for the
total physical-mental health care of individuals in the community.

This bill, enables the Commissioners of Mental Health and Health to
further facilitate the goals of the chapter by addressing regulatory,
financial and systemic barriers to collaboration with mental health
providers and home care providers.

The targeted barriers, mentioned above, were identified through ongoing
discussions between the New York State Office of Mental Health and the
Home Care Association of New York State (HCA) to promote integrated care
at the service delivery level. These barriers were also presented to and
discussed at meetings of the state Geriatric Mental Health Council meet-
ings in 2018 and 2019.

The framework for the mental health-home health collaboration is with
the Geriatric Mental Health Demonstration Program that added home health
in the 2018 Chapter.

This bill will help address major barriers to the program's and the 2018
Chapter's goal of providing comprehensive, person-centered care within a
collaborative model, that supports the total range of patient needs
required to maintain quality community life avert exacerbations, emer-
gencies, hospitalizations and potential long term institutionalization.
Particularly, as individuals in the mental health community age, their
physical health needs become of equal or ever greater consequence to
their health and care management.

Addressing these financial, procedural and systemic barriers to effec-
tive collaboration within the Geriatric Service Demonstration Program
will assist in deepening the collaborative partnerships between mental
health providers and providers of home care and help better serve
patients across the care continuum.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021: S4534 Committed to Rules.

2022: S4534 Referred to Mental Health.

2023-24: S5516A Passed Senate.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

No cost to the state or localities. Anticipate savings to the state from
further promotion of the collaborative health-mental health effort and
specific goals of maintaining health and averting hospitalizations,
emergency episodes and long-term institutionalization.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.