Healthcare

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 1006: Establishes the Take A Look medical and dental workforce employment tour pilot program

Establishes the Take A Look medical and dental workforce employment tour pilot program which is a campaign to promote and market the health care workforce employment and career opportunities in the following economic development regions: central, north country, western, finger lakes, capital region, mohawk and southern tier.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcarePromotes healthcare workforce recruitment through marketing campaigns, addressing sector staffing needs to strengthen service capacity and access.85% confidence

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in committee · New York · Senate May 5, 2026

S 1917: Establishes an emergency insulin program

This bill establishes a state-run emergency insulin program to provide affordable access to analog insulins (life-saving prescription medications for managing type 1 and insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes) for uninsured or underinsured individuals at risk of serious health complications. It creates an emergency insulin program trust fund (funded by state appropriations and contributions from insulin manufacturers) to cover costs, allowing pharmacies with 20+ locations and certain facilities to dispense insulin without individual prescriptions through a sliding-scale cost-sharing system capped at $100 for a 30-day supply. The program must be operational by April 1, 2026, and requires the health commissioner to report annually on program participation, insulin types distributed, costs, and public-private partnerships. The bill directly affects vulnerable diabetic patients and healthcare providers participating in the program, focusing on immediate emergency access rather than long-term coverage changes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesFunds emergency insulin program via state appropriations, increasing public health spending and creating a dedicated trust fund per bill's summary.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates state-run emergency insulin program to provide affordable access to life-saving medication for uninsured/underinsured diabetics, directly improving patient access and funding critical healthcare services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Prescription Drugs

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 8532: Provides for the release of patient records by the office of mental health

This bill creates regulations for sharing mental health records of deceased patients in facilities operated by New York's Office of Mental Health. It allows family members, personal representatives, or healthcare providers involved in the patient's care to access records upon written request, while respecting any prior expressed wishes of the deceased. The regulations must align with federal privacy laws (HIPAA) and define "family member" for the purpose of record sharing. It directly affects families and healthcare providers seeking information about deceased patients in state mental health facilities.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables family/healthcare providers to access deceased patients' mental health records per HIPAA, improving care continuity and respecting patient wishes.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill creates regulations for mental health records sharing aligned with HIPAA (data privacy law), ensuring privacy protections for deceased patients' records per federal standards.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 1780: Provides for mental home health care services for the aging

Directs the commissioner of the office of mental health and the director of the state office for the aging shall establish a mental home health services program for the aging to facilitate access to mental home health services to respond to identified mental health needs, including those needs that may have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the aging or families that may not have access to mental health professionals in-person; makes related provisions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes mental home health services program for aging population, facilitating access to mental health care including pandemic-related needs, directly expanding mental health service access under healthcare.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 5704: Relates to certification by pharmacists of patients using medical cannabis

Relates to the content and procedure for certification by pharmacists of patients using medical cannabis; allows a pharmacist employed by a registered organization and responsible for supervising the dispensing of medical cannabis within a cannabis dispensing facility to recommend and certify patients upon consultation within such dispensing facility.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands pharmacists' role in certifying medical cannabis patients, improving access to healthcare service.90% confidence

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 7052: Relates to the rates of payment for certified home health agencies

This bill requires New York State to establish episodic payments (a payment system based on specific care episodes rather than per visit) as the standard method for reimbursing certified home health agencies starting October 1, 2025. It directly affects Medicaid managed care plans, child health insurance plans, and Essential Health Plans operating in New York by mandating they use this payment system and ensure access to home health services for enrolled members. The law requires the state commissioner to notify these plans annually about their responsibilities, emphasizing that home health services reduce avoidable hospital costs. Plans may still negotiate alternative payment rates with agencies, including value-based options tied to health outcomes.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates episodic payments for home health agencies, ensuring access to services under Medicaid/insurance plans, directly improving patient access to home health care.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Children's Health Hospitals Medicaid

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 4924: Relates to home care and hospice worker shortage areas and disciplines

Authorizes the commissioner of health to adjust medical assistance rates of payment for certified home health agencies, managed long term care plans, hospices, long term home health care programs, licensed home care services agencies and other entities for recruitment, training and retention of direct care workers for services in shortage areas and by shortage disciplines.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAuthorizes payment rate adjustments for home health/hospice agencies to recruit/retain staff in shortage areas, directly strengthening healthcare workforce stability and service access.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAuthorizes rate adjustments to fund recruitment/retention of home care workers, strengthening workforce stability in shortage areas.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Long-Term Care

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 5625: Relates to requiring additional licensed pharmacists to be on staff during any period in which more than two hundred prescriptions are dispensed

This bill requires pharmacies dispensing over 200 prescriptions in any 14-hour period to have at least two licensed pharmacists on staff during that time. It mandates pharmacies to maintain daily logs showing hourly prescription counts and pharmacist coverage for audit purposes. The bill also prohibits employers from terminating pharmacists who refuse unsafe prescription quotas that endanger patient safety, and bans policies interfering with pharmacists' professional judgment on ethics or drug distribution. The law takes effect 30 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires adequate pharmacist staffing during high-volume periods to prevent errors, protect patient safety, and safeguard pharmacists' professional judgment on ethics.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires two pharmacists during high-volume periods, prohibits termination for refusing unsafe quotas, and protects professional judgment - directly advancing workplace safety and worker rights in employment standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Prescription Drugs

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 6457: Provides for coordination between the department of health and the state long-term care ombudsperson regarding residential health care facilities

Provides for coordination between the department of health and the state long-term care ombudsperson regarding residential health care facilities, including such facilities' compliance with state and federal law, and histories of complaints.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates coordination between health department and ombudsman to ensure compliance and address complaints in long-term care facilities, enhancing oversight and patient safety.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care

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passed · New York · Senate May 4, 2026

S 2398: Requires genetic testing results only be received by patients and health care providers providing direct care while health insurance companies only receive a record that the genetic testing was performed

Requires genetic testing results only be received by patients and health care providers providing direct care while health insurance companies only receive a record that the genetic testing was performed; provides insurers cannot require access to genetic testing results and cannot take adverse action against someone for not providing genetic testing results.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRestricts insurers from accessing genetic test results, preventing discrimination and protecting patient privacy in healthcare coverage, aligning with patient rights protection indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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