S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  1966

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 9, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ORTIZ,  MILLMAN, V. LOPEZ, RIVERA, COLTON --
  Multi-Sponsored by -- M.   of A.  ARROYO,  PERRY,  ROBINSON,  SWEENEY,
  WEISENBERG -- read once and referred to the Committee on Aging

AN  ACT  in relation to increasing access to medicines for needy seniors
  through the outreach to and enrollment of eligible Medicare  benefici-
  aries in the Medicaid program

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as  the  "medicaid
outreach and enrollment for qualifying medicare beneficiaries program".
  S  2.  Legislative  findings  and  intent.  The  legislature finds and
declares that almost thirty percent of medicare enrollees have no cover-
age for pharmaceuticals. Of that number nearly twenty-five  percent  are
living  below  the federal poverty level. Under the medicaid program the
state of New York provides pharmaceutical coverage for qualifying  indi-
viduals.  There are many medicare beneficiaries in New York that qualify
for  medicaid  services  but  are  not enrolled and participating in the
program.  The legislature further finds that the medicaid  outreach  and
enrollment  for  qualifying medicare beneficiaries program will identify
those medicare enrollees who are eligible for medicaid services, but are
not participating, through outreach initiatives.
  S 3. Medicaid outreach and enrollment program. There is hereby  estab-
lished  the  medicaid  outreach and enrollment program ("program").  The
program shall be administered by the department of health.  The  depart-
ment  of  health  shall implement and administer the program through the
development of outreach initiatives to identify medicaid-eligible  medi-
care beneficiaries who are not participating in the medicaid program and
to promote and encourage enrollment of these eligible individuals in the
medicaid program.  Initiatives may include, but shall not be limited to,

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00931-01-3
              

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mailings,   advertisements,  public  service  announcements,  literature
dissemination and community outreach.
  S  4.  The  department of health shall report to the legislature on an
annual basis  commencing  one  year  after  the  implementation  of  the
provisions  of the program. The report shall include the baseline number
of medicare beneficiaries who were medicaid eligible at the beginning of
the previous year; the number  of  medicaid-eligible  beneficiaries  who
were  medicare  beneficiaries  who  were  targeted  via the program; the
number of medicaid-eligible medicare beneficiaries who enrolled in medi-
caid in a given year and any information of enrollment via the  program;
a description of the outreach initiatives utilized by the program; and a
detailed accounting of how funding was utilized.
  S 5. This act shall take effect immediately.