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 The law takes effect immediately, but the amendment expires when the underlying section of the law is repealed.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.
Requires the department of corrections and community supervision to establish discharge plans and reentry services for wrongfully convicted individuals upon their discharge which includes housing needs, educational needs, employment needs, medical needs, and specific social service needs.
Prohibits the use of restraints on and the use of force against incarcerated individuals during labor and incarcerated individuals who have experienced different pregnancy outcomes, absent extraordinary circumstances, and on pregnant and post-pregnancy persons during a custodial interrogation; provides for certain exceptions for restraints to be used and in such case limits the use to wrist restraints.
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.
Removes the requirement that consent for the payment of certain medical services must occur after such services are administered; requires the superintendent of financial services and the commissioner of health to develop a uniform form for consent for payment; provides that any non-conforming form shall be prohibited and unenforceable.
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.
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.
