Healthcare

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 30, 2025

S 3939: Requires every general hospital to have a community advisory board

S 3939 requires every general hospital in New York to establish a community advisory board made up of local residents. The board must help hospitals create and update mission statements, review how well they serve community health needs (especially for underserved groups), and report annually on charity care and access to services. Hospitals must publicly share these reports on their websites and the state health department’s site. The bill also ensures board members cannot be state employees and are only reimbursed for expenses, not paid a salary.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates community advisory boards to review service to underserved groups and report on charity care access, improving hospital accountability for community health needs.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 6630: Enacts the expanded in-home services funding act; appropriation

This bill (A 6630) creates the "Expanded In-Home Services Funding Act" to increase state funding for in-home care services for elderly residents. It allocates $42 million specifically to eliminate waitlists for essential services like meal delivery, housekeeping, personal care, and transportation, while ensuring counties have resources to meet growing demand. The bill establishes a five-year pilot program to test new service models (including tele-health and volunteer transportation networks), with a designated portion of funds prioritized for rural counties facing the highest need. Annual reports will track fund usage, waitlist reductions, and improvements in senior well-being, as required by the bill's provisions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $42M to fund in-home care services, expanding public spending on essential programs like meal delivery and transportation.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates $42M to expand in-home healthcare services for elderly, eliminating waitlists and piloting tele-health, directly increasing access and funding for essential care.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill explicitly allocates $42M to fund transportation services as part of in-home care, including transportation in the listed essential services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 41: Directs the office of mental health to develop materials relating to suicide prevention for school-aged children; authorizes school districts to include suicide prevention in health class curriculum

Directs the office of mental health to develop materials relating to suicide prevention and identifying signs of depression for school-aged children; authorizes school districts to include suicide prevention in health class curriculum.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAuthorizes school districts to include suicide prevention in health curriculum, enhancing student mental health education and supporting school-based health programs within K-12 education framework.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates mental health prevention materials and curriculum inclusion, directly supporting mental health services in schools.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum School Safety Student Health Mental Health

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died · New York · Senate May 5, 2026

S 3364: Establishes an office of the state medical fund ombudsperson and a medical indemnity fund advisory panel

Establishes an office of the state medical indemnity fund ombudsperson and a medical indemnity fund advisory panel to advocate for, assist and represent the interests of qualified plaintiffs.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes ombudsperson to advocate for medical malpractice plaintiffs, protecting patient rights within healthcare dispute resolution.85% confidence

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 3285: Allows a licensed pharmacist to order and administer certain tests

This bill allows licensed pharmacists in New York to order and administer specific diagnostic tests, directly affecting pharmacists and patients seeking convenient testing. It authorizes pharmacists to perform FDA-authorized tests for conditions like COVID-19, flu, RSV, strep throat, HbA1c, hepatitis C, and HIV. The law expands pharmacists' scope of practice to include these tests under federal "waiver" requirements, without requiring additional physician oversight. The provision expires on July 1, 2028, as noted in the bill's text.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands pharmacist scope for diagnostic tests, improving patient access to convenient testing without physician oversight, directly advancing healthcare access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Medical Licensing

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 5719: Relates to reimbursements practices of pharmacy benefit managers

S 5719 requires pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in New York to reimburse pharmacies for drugs at a rate equal to or higher than the pharmacy's actual cost of purchasing the drug. If a PBM denies a claim for a specific drug, it must provide a therapeutically equivalent alternative that the pharmacy can buy at or below the PBM's reimbursement rate; if unavailable at that cost, the PBM must adjust the reimbursement to cover the pharmacy's actual acquisition cost and allow rebilling. The bill also prohibits PBMs from reimbursing pharmacies less than they pay their own affiliated pharmacies for the same services, ensuring consistent payment rates. This directly affects pharmacies and PBMs operating in New York, aiming to prevent underpayment for drug procurement.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires PBMs to reimburse pharmacies at actual cost, preventing underpayment that could restrict drug access or increase patient costs, aligning with improved patient access and fair reimbursement practices.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Prescription Drugs

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 4247: Provides Medicaid reimbursement for interpretation services provided by hospital inpatient and outpatient departments

Provides Medicaid reimbursement for interpretation services provided by hospital inpatient, outpatient and emergency department settings and in diagnostic treatment centers; provides further that time frames for notice, approval or certification of rates of payment and to the requirement of prior notice of rates of payment are suspended, deemed without any force and effect from and after February 1, 2027 for such rates effective for the period April 1, 2027 through March 31, 2028.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProvides Medicaid reimbursement for interpretation services, expanding access to healthcare for non-English speakers and improving patient access to hospital services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Medicaid

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 2129: Provides for the reimbursement for certain corrective lenses

Provides that group health insurance policies offered in the large group market that is issued, amended, or renewed in this state shall provide coverage for corrective lenses used to correct the sight of individuals medically diagnosed with color vision deficiency.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurance coverage for corrective lenses for medically diagnosed color vision deficiency, expanding health insurance benefits under coverage requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 1123: Relates to creating autism teams in hospitals

Relates to creating autism teams in hospitals; requires the department of health to design a pilot program to develop one "autism team" who may be called upon should a patient with autism come to a hospital; provides that members of the autism team shall be knowledgeable about autism and communication difficulties many people with autism have and advise physicians and other staff on how to communicate with patients with autism.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates autism teams in hospitals to improve communication and care for autism patients, directly supporting mental health services and enhancing patient care within healthcare settings.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 4720: Adds services delivered to individuals with developmental disabilities to the requirement that telehealth services be reimbursed at the applicable in person rates or fees regardless of location

Adds services delivered, to individuals with developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injury, through a facility licensed under article twenty-eight of the public health law, to the requirement that telehealth services be reimbursed at the applicable in person rates or fees regardless of the location of the patient or the clinician.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires equal telehealth reimbursement for developmental disability services, improving access and protecting patient rights under healthcare coverage policies.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health Telehealth

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