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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Relates to prehospital emergency medical services for individuals in substance use recovery; requires policies, procedures, and protocols to be developed to identify individuals in substance use recovery and to avoid treatment that could compromise such individuals' recovery.
