Bill Text: NY A05120 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to aligning Medicaid optional benefits with the requirements of article 43 of the insurance law.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - referred to health [A05120 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A05120-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         5120
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   February 12, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by M. of A. GOODELL -- read once and referred to the Commit-
         tee on Health
       AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to  aligning  Medi-
         caid optional services with private sector health benefits
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1.  This act shall be known and may be cited as the  "Medicaid
    2  taxpayer equity act".
    3    S  2.  The legislature hereby finds that it is fundamentally unfair to
    4  the taxpayers of the state for Medicaid optional services to exceed  the
    5  minimum  health  insurance benefits levels that are required for private
    6  sector health  insurance  plans.  Higher  benefit  levels  for  Medicaid
    7  compared  to private insurance create a disincentive for people to leave
    8  public assistance and  accept  private  employment  and  private  health
    9  coverage.  Higher Medicaid benefit levels are also a contributing factor
   10  causing the state to have the highest Medicaid costs in the  nation  and
   11  some  of  the  highest property taxes in the nation. The purpose of this
   12  act is to ensure that Medicaid  optional  services  for  adults  do  not
   13  exceed the minimum health insurance benefit levels that apply to private
   14  insurance plans, other than long-term care services.
   15    S  3.  Title  11 of article 5 of the social services law is amended by
   16  adding a new section 362 to read as follows:
   17    S 362. BENEFITS  PROVIDED  UNDER  THIS  TITLE  FOR  MEDICAID  OPTIONAL
   18  SERVICES. THE STATE SHALL NOT OFFER TO INDIVIDUALS OVER THE AGE OF TWEN-
   19  TY-ONE YEARS MEDICAID OPTIONAL SERVICES THAT EXCEED THE MINIMUM BENEFITS
   20  REQUIRED  FOR  HEALTH CARE PLANS UNDER ARTICLE FORTY-THREE OF THE INSUR-
   21  ANCE LAW. THIS SECTION  SHALL  NOT  APPLY  TO  MEDICAID  LONG-TERM  CARE
   22  SERVICES.
   23    S  4. The commissioner of the department of health shall submit to the
   24  federal department of health and human services for approval any  amend-
   25  ments  to  the state plan required by this act. Furthermore, the commis-
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD09053-01-5
       A. 5120                             2
    1  sioner of the department of health shall have the authority  to  promul-
    2  gate  or  amend any regulations necessary for the implementation of this
    3  act.
    4    S 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
    5  it shall have become a law.