This bill prohibits new for-profit hospices from being established or incorporated and bans any capacity increases for existing for-profit hospices. It directly affects for-profit hospice care providers and future hospice developers by blocking new entries into the for-profit hospice market and preventing expansion of current for-profit facilities. The key provision, added to public health law, bans all approvals for for-profit hospice operations or capacity expansions effective immediately. This applies to all new applications and existing facilities operating under a for-profit model. The law takes effect as soon as signed, with no grace period for compliance.
Requires Medicaid to cover gender-affirming care regardless of federal funding; prohibits discriminatory practices by health care entities including hospitals, certain professionals, and insurers; requires insurance coverage for services or treatments for gender dysphoria or gender incongruence.
S 8902 amends New York's social services law to ensure that medical assistance recipients (such as Medicaid beneficiaries) cannot access school-based health center services through managed care programs until at least April 1, 2026. The bill adds a specific provision requiring these services to be provided outside of managed care arrangements during that period. This directly affects medical assistance recipients who use school-based health centers and the managed care organizations that coordinate their care. The law takes effect immediately, but the amendment expires when the underlying section of the law is repealed.
Specifies that professional liability insurance insurers cannot deny coverage or increase rates solely based on legal use or prescription of certain gender-affirming care-related drugs; prescribes procedures for warrants issued in other jurisdictions for electronic data related to legally protected health activities; provides for additional procedural methods for protection of legally protected health activities.
Provides for reciprocity agreements with other states for medical cannabis programs; directs the cannabis control board to promulgate regulations for the approval of pre-roll products in the medical cannabis program.
Requires a pharmacy benefit manager to pay a participating pharmacy at minimum at the national average drug acquisition cost (NADAC) rate, or at the pharmacy acquisition cost rate if greater or there is not a NADAC rate, plus a professional dispensing fee that is at minimum the professional dispensing fee paid under the state medical assistance program.
Establishes the New York dignity in pregnancy and childbirth act; requires hospitals and other facilities that provide perinatal care to implement an evidence-based implicit bias program for all health care providers involved in the perinatal care of patients within those facilities; requires the department of health to publish reports on maternal morbidity and pregnancy related deaths.
This bill increases civil penalties for violations of public health laws. It raises the base penalty from $2,000 to $3,000 per violation, with higher penalties for repeat offenses ($10,000) or violations causing serious harm ($20,000). Nursing home and hospital operators face increased penalties of $5,000 per violation, with excess funds from nursing home penalties directed to a quality improvement program. The changes apply to violations affecting public health safety and redirect collected penalties to specific state health initiatives.
Expands protections regarding violations of safety conditions in adult care facilities; provides penalties for safety violations and operating without a valid license; prohibits reductions in fines in certain circumstances where a patient is endangered or harmed.
Requires general hospitals and nursing homes to offer free notarial services to patients; requires an employee of such general hospital or nursing home who is a notary public to be present from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on business days.
