This bill extends the effective date for certain application provisions related to New York's Medicare Savings Program to April 1, 2026. It directly affects low-income seniors and individuals applying for Medicare Savings benefits, which help cover Medicare costs like premiums and deductibles. The key mechanism is amending the effective date in the law to delay implementation until April 2026, while other immediate provisions take effect right away. The bill was signed into law on February 14, 2025, as Chapter 32.
Relates to including information about Down Syndrome in the health care and wellness education and outreach program; amends the effectiveness thereof.
Includes guardians of the principal as a person who may commence certain special proceedings; provides that if a hospital can with reasonable efforts ascertain the identity of the parents or guardian of an emancipated minor patient and obtain such parent's or guardian's contact information, the hospital shall notify such persons, and document such notification in the patient's medical record, prior to withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment.
Requires the department of health to evaluate and make recommendations related to maternal health care and birthing best practices; repeals certain provisions.
This bill (S 806) sets a specific start date for delivering traumatic brain injury (TBI) services under state waivers through managed care programs. It requires that such services for TBI patients (and those qualifying for nursing home diversion services) cannot be provided via managed care programs before January 1, 2027. The key provision delays the integration of these waiver services into managed care systems until 2027, ensuring continuity of care through existing waiver structures until that date. This directly affects TBI patients receiving state-funded waiver services who would otherwise transition to managed care earlier.
Requires hospitals record information during intake and registration if a patient requires a disability accommodation; allows such patient to decline such request for information.
This bill (S 2676) sets new rules for health insurance step therapy protocols, which require patients to try lower-cost medications first before covering more expensive options. It directly affects health insurance plans and patients needing specialty medications by limiting step therapy to no more than two drugs in the same category, capping the required trial period at 30 days (or evidence-based guidelines), and requiring insurers to accept doctors' written documentation of treatment failure as proof. The bill also prevents insurers from reapplying step therapy for patients who completed it under prior coverage or for drugs previously approved by the plan. These changes take effect January 1, 2026.
Includes guardians of the principal as a person who may commence certain special proceedings; provides that if a hospital can with reasonable efforts ascertain the identity of the parents or guardian of an emancipated minor patient and obtain such parent's or guardian's contact information, the hospital shall notify such persons, and document such notification in the patient's medical record, prior to withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment.
Removes the director of the office of the aging from deciding resources and information concerning Alzheimer's disease and any other dementia related matters; leaves such decisions to the commissioner of health.
Relates to including information about Down Syndrome in the health care and wellness education and outreach program; amends the effectiveness thereof.
