Increases medicaid reimbursement payment aggregate for private duty nursing services and care by 15 million dollars for period 7/1/14 to 3/31/15, and by 20 million dollars annually thereafter for each period from April 1 to March 31.

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S3346-2013 Actions

• Feb 1, 2013: REFERRED TO HEALTH

S3346-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S3346

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the social services law, in relation to
medicaid reimbursement of private duty nursing services and care

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:  To increase Medicaid beneficiaries
access to quality health care services by increasing Medicaid fees for
private duty nursing services.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section one of this bill would add a new Section 365-o to the Social
Services Law governing reimbursement of private duty nursing services.
The bill would allocate $15 million in State Fiscal Year (SPY) 2012-2013
to increase reimbursement under the Medicaid program for private duty
nursing services for the period July 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013. The bill
would allocate $20 million for such reimbursement on annual fiscal year
basis thereafter.

JUSTIFICATION:  The State is currently experiencing a very serious shor-
tage in private duty nursing. This shortage is due to a variety of
factors including the lowest unemployment rate in over a decade, and
rates of reimbursement in both the commercial and government sectors
that have not kept pace with market demands. In some areas of the State,
the Medicaid rates for private duty nursing have not changed in over a
decade.

The nursing shortage is making it difficult to recruit and retain quali-
fied nurses, particularly in specialty areas such as nursing care for
medically and technologically dependent children and adults.  This bill
would provide the resources necessary to assist in recruiting and
retaining qualified nursing care for the State's most vulnerable popu-
lation -Medicaid beneficiaries. In addition to easing the workforce
shortage in nursing and increasing access to quality care, the bill
would provide badly needed respite to family members who are struggling
to care for medically complex children and adults. The bill will reduce
Medicaid costs over the long term by reducing unnecessary hospitaliza-
tion that are the result of a lack of access to community care.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:  Senate:
2009-10: S.5040 - Referred to Health 2007-08: S.124A - Referred to
Social Services 2005-06: S.175A - Referred to Social Services 2003-04:
S.832A - Referred to Social Services 2001-02: S.1732 - Referred to
Social Services 1909-00: S.7353 - Referred to Social Services

Assembly;
2009-10: 4.692- (Jacobs) Referred to Social- Services 2007-08: A.2290A -
Referred to Social Services, Reported to Ways & Means 2005-06: A.1182A -
Referred to Social Services 2003-04: A.1558 - Referred to Social
Services 2001-02: A.78- Referred to Social Services 1999-00: S.9932 -
Referred to Social Services, Reported to Ways & Means

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:  This bill will increase the Status share of Medi-
caid costs by an estimated $15 million In SFY 2012-2013. However, the
bill will likely decrease Medicaid costs over the long term through the
provision of more timely care and a decrease in institutional costs.

EFFECTIVE DATE:; July 1, 2014

S3346-2013 Text

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

                                    3346

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                              February 1, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by Sens. HASSELL-THOMPSON, DIAZ, MONTGOMERY, PARKER, SERRANO
    -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to
    the Committee on Health

  AN ACT to amend  the  social  services  law,  in  relation  to  medicaid
    reimbursement of private duty nursing services and care

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


    Section 1. The social services law is amended by adding a new  section
  365-o to read as follows:

    S  365-O.  REIMBURSEMENT  OF  PRIVATE  DUTY NURSING SERVICES AND CARE.
  NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, RATES  OF  PAYMENT
  FOR  CARE  AND  SERVICES  FURNISHED  BY  A PRIVATE DUTY NURSE THAT WOULD
  OTHERWISE QUALIFY FOR REIMBURSEMENT PURSUANT  TO  THIS  TITLE  SHALL  BE
  INCREASED  BY  AN  AMOUNT  NOT  TO EXCEED FIFTEEN MILLION DOLLARS IN THE
  AGGREGATE FOR THE PERIOD JULY FIRST,  TWO  THOUSAND  FOURTEEN  TO  MARCH
  THIRTY-FIRST,  TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN, AND TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY
  THEREAFTER FOR EACH PERIOD OF APRIL FIRST TO MARCH THIRTY-FIRST.
    S 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.





   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD03134-01-3