Bill Text: NY S02502 | 2019-2020 | 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) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO HEALTH [S02502 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S02502-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          2502
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    January 25, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen. HELMING -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee 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    §  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    §  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    § 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    §  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.
                                                                   LBD04942-01-9
        S. 2502                             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    § 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
     5  it shall have become a law.