Bill Text: NY A05958 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Includes doulas as medical services providers for Medicaid recipients; directs the commissioner of health to submit an application for amendments and waivers to add doulas to such coverage pursuant to section 363-e of the social services law; directs the commissioner of health and the commissioner of the office of children and family services to add, amend and/or repeal any rule or regulation necessary.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to health [A05958 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A05958-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          5958

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     March 24, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. SOLAGES, THIELE -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Health

        AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to including doulas
          as medical services providers for Medicaid recipients;  directing  the
          commissioner  of  health  to  submit an application for amendments and
          waivers to add doulas to state Medicaid coverage;  and  directing  the
          commissioner  of health and the commissioner of the office of children
          and family services to add, amend and/or repeal any rule or regulation
          necessary for the implementation of this act

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Paragraph  (d)  of  subdivision 1 of section 364-j of the
     2  social services law, as amended by chapter 653 of the laws of  1997,  is
     3  amended to read as follows:
     4    (d) "Medical services provider". A physician, nurse, nurse practition-
     5  er,  physician  assistant, licensed midwife, doula, dentist, optometrist
     6  or other licensed health care practitioner authorized to provide medical
     7  assistance services.
     8    § 2. The commissioner of health is directed to apply  for  such  state
     9  Medicaid plan amendments or waivers as may be necessary to implement the
    10  provisions of this act and include doula care as a covered service under
    11  the  state  Medicaid plan, and to secure federal financial participation
    12  for state Medicaid expenditures for doula care under the  federal  Medi-
    13  caid program.
    14    § 3. The New York state Medicaid doula services pilot program shall be
    15  extended  beyond  Erie  county  and  be made accessible statewide. Local
    16  localities shall be given the option to opt-in or out based on a locali-
    17  ty's exact need for the doula pilot program. The  department  of  health
    18  shall conduct a yearly study of such program to examine its efficacy and
    19  provide  a  report  with the study's findings to the governor, temporary
    20  president of the senate, minority leader of the senate, speaker  of  the

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02566-01-3
        A. 5958                             2

     1  assembly,  and  minority  leader of the assembly.   This report shall be
     2  used as a tool to strengthen the program. The department  of  health  is
     3  directed  to  inform  the  public  about the program and provide medical
     4  providers  with pamphlets detailing the program and locations where it's
     5  being offered to distribute to patients.
     6    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that section one
     7  of this act shall take effect upon receipt by the commissioner of health
     8  of approval from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to
     9  include doula care as a covered service under the state  Medicaid  plan;
    10  provided,  further,  that  the amendments to section 364-j of the social
    11  services law made by section one of this act shall not affect the repeal
    12  of such section and shall be deemed repealed therewith. The commissioner
    13  of health shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission upon the
    14  occurrence of the receipt of such approval in order that the  commission
    15  may  maintain an accurate and timely effective data base of the official
    16  text of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating
    17  the provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b  of
    18  the public officers law.  Effective immediately, the addition, amendment
    19  and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
    20  of  this  act  on  its  effective  date  are  authorized  to be made and
    21  completed on or before such effective date.