Bill Text: NY S02680 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Requires financial assistance from the crime victims board for post-exposure prophylaxis treatment for victims of sexual assault.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-05-28 - PRINT NUMBER 2680B [S02680 Detail]

Download: New_York-2009-S02680-Amended.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                        2680--B
                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                   February 26, 2009
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by Sens. MORAHAN, HASSELL-THOMPSON -- read twice and ordered
         printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Health
         --  recommitted  to  the Committee on Health in accordance with Senate
         Rule  6,  sec.  8  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
         reprinted  as  amended  and recommitted to said committee -- committee
         discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
         to said committee
       AN ACT to amend the public health law and the executive law, in relation
         to financial assistance from the crime victims board for post-exposure
         prophylaxis treatment for victims of sexual assault
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Paragraph  (c)  of subdivision 1 of section 2805-i of the
    2  public health law, as added by chapter 571  of  the  laws  of  2007,  is
    3  amended to read as follows:
    4    (c) offering and making available appropriate HIV post-exposure treat-
    5  ment therapies in cases where it has been determined, in accordance with
    6  guidelines  issued  by  the commissioner, that a significant exposure to
    7  HIV has occurred, and informing the victim that payment  assistance  for
    8  such therapies [may be] IS available from the crime victims board pursu-
    9  ant  to  the  provisions  of  article  twenty-two  of the executive law;
   10  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT A FORENSIC RAPE EXAMINATION SHALL INCLUDE A NINE
   11  DAY STARTER PACK TO BE PROVIDED BY THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY  ROOM  AT  THE
   12  TIME OF THE FORENSIC RAPE EXAMINATION. THE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM SHALL
   13  DETERMINE WHICH CLINIC WITHIN THE HOSPITAL OR IF MORE CONVENIENT FOR THE
   14  VICTIM,  ANOTHER  HOSPITAL  OR  CLINIC,  WHERE  FOLLOW-UP  CARE SHALL BE
   15  PROVIDED. IN RURAL COUNTIES PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION  TWELVE  OF  SECTION
   16  TWO  HUNDRED  THIRTY-EIGHT  OF THIS CHAPTER, WHERE HOSPITALS DO NOT HAVE
   17  THE APPROPRIATE FACILITY TO ACCOMMODATE  FOLLOW-UP  CARE,  THE  HOSPITAL
   18  EMERGENCY  ROOM  DEPARTMENT SHALL REFER THE VICTIM TO THE COUNTY DEPART-
   19  MENT OF HEALTH, WHICH, IN TURN SHALL PROVIDE REFERRAL SERVICES FOR  SUCH
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD03647-08-0
       S. 2680--B                          2
    1  FOLLOW-UP CARE.  THE HOSPITALS, CLINICS, AND RURAL COUNTY HEALTH DEPART-
    2  MENTS AS REFERENCED ABOVE ARE THE BILLING ENTITIES.
    3    S 2. Subdivision 13 of section 631 of the executive law, as amended by
    4  section  1 of part E of chapter 56 of the laws of 2009, is amended and a
    5  new subdivision 13-a is added to read as follows:
    6    13. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, rule, or regulation to
    7  the contrary, when any New York state  accredited  hospital,  accredited
    8  sexual  assault  examiner  program,  or  licensed  health  care provider
    9  furnishes services to any sexual assault  survivor,  including  but  not
   10  limited to a health care forensic examination in accordance with the sex
   11  offense  evidence  collection  protocol and standards established by the
   12  department of health, such hospital, sexual assault examiner program, or
   13  licensed healthcare provider shall provide such services to  the  person
   14  without  charge and shall bill the board directly. The board, in consul-
   15  tation with the department of health, shall define the specific services
   16  to be covered by the sexual assault  forensic  exam  reimbursement  fee,
   17  which  must include at a minimum forensic examiner services, hospital or
   18  healthcare facility services related to the exam, and related laboratory
   19  tests and  pharmaceuticals.  [Follow-up  HIV  post-exposure  prophylaxis
   20  costs  shall  continue  to  be reimbursed according to established board
   21  procedure.] The board, in consultation with the  department  of  health,
   22  shall  also  generate the necessary regulations and forms for the direct
   23  reimbursement procedure. The rate for reimbursement shall be the  amount
   24  of  itemized charges not exceeding eight hundred dollars, to be reviewed
   25  and adjusted annually by the board in consultation with  the  department
   26  of  health.  The  hospital, sexual assault examiner program, or licensed
   27  health care provider must accept this fee as payment in full  for  these
   28  specified  services.  No  additional  billing  of  the survivor for said
   29  services is permissible.  A  sexual  assault  survivor  may  voluntarily
   30  assign any private insurance benefits to which she or he is entitled for
   31  the  healthcare  forensic  examination,  in  which  case the hospital or
   32  healthcare provider may not charge the board. A hospital, sexual assault
   33  examiner program or licensed health care provider shall, at the time  of
   34  the  initial  visit,  request assignment of any private health insurance
   35  benefits to which the sexual assault survivor  is  entitled  on  a  form
   36  prescribed by the board; provided, however, such sexual assault survivor
   37  shall  be  advised  orally  and in writing that he or she may decline to
   38  provide such information regarding private health insurance benefits  if
   39  he or she believes that the provision of such information would substan-
   40  tially  interfere with his or her personal privacy or safety and in such
   41  event, the sexual assault forensic exam fee shall be paid by the  board.
   42  [Such  sexual assault survivor shall also be advised that providing such
   43  information may provide additional resources  to  pay  for  services  to
   44  other  sexual  assault  victims.]  If he or she declines to provide such
   45  health insurance information, he or she shall indicate such decision  on
   46  the  form  provided  by the hospital, sexual assault examiner program or
   47  licensed health care provider, which form shall  be  prescribed  by  the
   48  board.
   49    13-A. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISIONS OF LAW, RULE, OR REGULATION
   50  TO THE CONTRARY, WHEN ANY BILLING ENTITY PROVIDES PROPHYLACTIC TREATMENT
   51  FOR  SIGNIFICANT  POSSIBLE EXPOSURE TO HIV TO A VICTIM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
   52  AS PRESCRIBED BY A LICENSED HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, SUCH TREATMENT SHALL BE
   53  PROVIDED TO THE PERSON WITHOUT CHARGE AND THE PHARMACY  SHALL  BILL  THE
   54  BOARD  DIRECTLY.  THE  BOARD,  IN  CONSULTATION  WITH  THE DEPARTMENT OF
   55  HEALTH, SHALL GENERATE THE  NECESSARY  REGULATIONS  AND  FORMS  FOR  THE
   56  DIRECT  REIMBURSEMENT  PROCEDURE.  THE  RATE  FOR REIMBURSEMENT SHALL BE
       S. 2680--B                          3
    1  ESTABLISHED AND REVIEWED AND ADJUSTED AT LEAST ANNUALLY BY THE BOARD  IN
    2  CONSULTATION  WITH  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  HEALTH. THE BILLING ENTITY MUST
    3  ACCEPT THIS FEE AS PAYMENT  IN  FULL  FOR  THE  SPECIFIED  POST-EXPOSURE
    4  PROPHYLACTIC  TREATMENT THERAPIES. NO ADDITIONAL BILLING OF THE SURVIVOR
    5  FOR SAID MEDICATIONS IS  PERMISSIBLE.  A  SEXUAL  ASSAULT  SURVIVOR  MAY
    6  VOLUNTARILY  ASSIGN ANY PRIVATE INSURANCE BENEFITS TO WHICH SHE OR HE IS
    7  ENTITLED FOR THE PROPHYLACTIC MEDICATIONS, IN  WHICH  CASE  THE  BILLING
    8  ENTITY  MAY NOT CHARGE THE BOARD. A BILLING ENTITY SHALL, AT THE TIME OF
    9  THE INITIAL VISIT, REQUEST ASSIGNMENT OF ANY  PRIVATE  HEALTH  INSURANCE
   10  BENEFITS  TO  WHICH  THE  SEXUAL  ASSAULT SURVIVOR IS ENTITLED ON A FORM
   11  PRESCRIBED BY THE BOARD; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, SUCH SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR
   12  SHALL BE ADVISED ORALLY AND IN WRITING THAT HE OR  SHE  MAY  DECLINE  TO
   13  PROVIDE  SUCH INFORMATION REGARDING PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS IF
   14  HE OR SHE BELIEVES THAT THE PROVISION OF SUCH INFORMATION WOULD SUBSTAN-
   15  TIALLY INTERFERE WITH HIS OR HER PERSONAL PRIVACY OR SAFETY AND, IN SUCH
   16  EVENT, THE PROPHYLACTIC TREATMENT FEE SHALL BE PAID BY THE BOARD. IF  HE
   17  OR  SHE DECLINES TO PROVIDE SUCH HEALTH INSURANCE INFORMATION, HE OR SHE
   18  SHALL INDICATE SUCH DECISION ON THE FORM PROVIDED BY THE BILLING ENTITY,
   19  WHICH FORM SHALL BE PRESCRIBED BY THE BOARD.  THE NINE DAY STARTER  PACK
   20  PROVIDED  TO  THE VICTIM PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (C) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF
   21  SECTION TWENTY-EIGHT HUNDRED FIVE-I OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH  LAW  SHALL  BE
   22  CONSIDERED PART OF THE FORENSIC RAPE EXAMINATION AND BILLED ACCORDINGLY.
   23  FOR  THE  REMAINING TWENTY-ONE DAYS OF TREATMENT, THE APPROPRIATE CLINIC
   24  OR IN A RURAL AREA, THE COUNTY DEPARTMENT  OF  HEALTH,  SHALL  BILL  THE
   25  CRIME  VICTIMS  BOARD  AND BE REIMBURSED BY SUCH BOARD. IF THE VICTIM IS
   26  NOT SEEKING  REIMBURSEMENT  FROM  THE  BOARD,  SUCH  VICTIM  CAN  CHOOSE
   27  FOLLOW-UP CARE BY ATTENDING THE APPROPRIATE CLINIC OR SEEKING A PROVIDER
   28  OF HIS OR HER CHOICE.
   29    S  3. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 2 of section 631-a of the executive
   30  law, as amended by chapter 263 of the laws of 1986, is amended  to  read
   31  as follows:
   32    (b)  These  regulations shall also provide for services including, but
   33  not limited to:
   34    (i) assistance to claimants seeking crime victims  compensation  bene-
   35  fits;
   36    (ii) referrals, crisis intervention and other counseling services;
   37    (iii) services to elderly victims and to child victims and their fami-
   38  lies;
   39    (iv) transportation and household assistance; [and]
   40    (v)  outreach  to  the  community  and  education  and training of law
   41  enforcement and other criminal justice officials to the needs  of  crime
   42  victims;
   43    (VI)  PROPHYLACTIC  TREATMENT  THERAPIES  IN  CASES  WHERE IT HAS BEEN
   44  DETERMINED THAT A SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE TO HIV HAS OCCURRED; AND
   45    (VII) IDENTIFYING HEALTH CARE  PROVIDERS  ACROSS  THE  STATE  WHO  CAN
   46  PROVIDE  FOLLOW-UP CARE FOR VICTIMS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO HOW AND
   47  WHERE TO ACCESS HIV POST-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS.
   48    S 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
   49  it shall have become a law.
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