BILL NUMBER:S5117A

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the social services law, in relation
to vision care in school based health centers

PURPOSE OF THE BILL:

To enhance the availability of vision care services in a school-based
health center setting.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends section 364-j(4)(a)(iii) of the Social Services Law
by adding a new clause (E-1) adding certain vision care services at a
school-based health center to the list of services which need not be
provided by a managed care program. Such services, subject to approval
by the Commissioner of Health (limited to up to five pilot programs),
would be in partnership with a charitable foundation that agrees to
provide free of charge eye glass frames and lenses at the center
pursuant to a memorandum of agreement approved by the Commissioner The
Commissioner is further authorized to approve payment rates for vision
services at rates comparable to when such services are provided at a
federally qualified health center (FQHC) or an entity licensed under
Article 28 of the Public Health Law eligible for an ambulatory patient
group (APG) rate.

              

Section 2 sets forth the effective date,

JUSTIFICATION:

The FY2013-14 adopted budget included support for an innovative
program designed to transform schools into community hubs.  Community
schools will integrate social, health and other services, as well as
after-school programming to support students and their families. Each
community "hub" could potentially include a wide array of programs and
services, including health, vision care and dental clinics, youth
development activities, tutoring, counseling programs, health
education programs and social services, to name a few. Because every
school community is different, each "hub" design would be unique. This
bill deals exclusively with vision care services.

Successful precedent exists for a vision care program in a community
school setting. The acclaimed Oyler School vision program in
Cincinnati has proven sustainable and expandable. Implementation of
this model in New York is crucial.. Eighty percent of what children
learn is visual. Yet one in four students in North America has an
undetected vision problem. For too many children, poor vision results
in poor academic performance, low self-esteem and unrealized
potential. Bridging this vision care gap is critical to our children's
success.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:


In the first year there would be no cost to the State or political
subdivisions. All services and lenses and frames will be funded by a
private foundation with the approval of the Commissioner of Health and
subject to regulation and termination at the discretion of DOH. In
subsequent years Medicaid would fund the vision care services provided
by doctors, optometrists, and opticians under current NYS scope of
practice law and rules and the lenses and frames would continue to be
paid for by the foundation. Therefore, there would be some increased
Medicaid cost of greater utilization of child vision care services but
the State would continue to save on Medicaid expenditures it now make
for lenses and frames.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

Immediately, application to withholding of payment in effect on or
commencing after the effective date.