S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 9477--A

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                             March 10, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of A. HARRIS, ABBATE, ABINANTI, BLAKE, COLTON, COOK,
  CORWIN, CROUCH, CYMBROWITZ, DUPREY, GUNTHER, HYNDMAN, MILLER,  MOSLEY,
  PEOPLES-STOKES,  ROBINSON,  HUNTER  --  Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.
  SEPULVEDA, SIMON, THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee on
  Health -- committee discharged, bill  amended,  ordered  reprinted  as
  amended and recommitted to said committee

AN  ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to making care and
  services provided by licensed mental health practitioners eligible for
  coverage under the Medicaid program

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Legislative intent. Whereas Medicaid covers mental health
services in New York state to psychiatrists,  psychologists  and  social
workers,  Medicaid  does  not  recognize  New York state licensed mental
health practitioners as providers within the  Medicaid  program.  Mental
health practitioners are often the only mental health providers in urban
underserved  minority  communities.  A  critical  result of this lack of
providers is that minority communities bear a disproportionate number of
burdens of mental health disabilities and  inadequately  treated  mental
health  disorders.  Excluding  mental health practitioners from treating
Medicaid beneficiaries with untreated mental illness puts such benefici-
aries disproportionately  at  risk  for  engagement  with  the  criminal
justice  system. This puts individuals, families and communities at risk
of harm.  Approximately 26 percent of adults  experience  a  diagnosable
behavioral  health  disorder each year, and researchers have reported 20
percent of adolescents display psychological problems. Behavioral health
disorders, ranging from inattention to violence are often  a  result  of
those psychological problems.
  Mental  health  practitioners  are valuable providers of mental health
services in New York state. Unfortunately Medicaid  does  not  recognize
their important contribution to the present health care delivery system.
  S  2.  Subdivision  2  of  section 365-a of the social services law is
amended by adding a new paragraph (dd) to read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD08250-03-6
              

A. 9477--A                          2

  (DD)  CARE  AND  SERVICES  PROVIDED  BY  MENTAL  HEALTH  PRACTITIONERS
LICENSED  PURSUANT  TO  ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-THREE OF THE EDUCATION
LAW, INCLUDING SUCH CARE AND SERVICES PROVIDED IN A HOSPITAL OUT-PATIENT
OR CLINIC FACILITY REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH (C) OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
  S 3. This act shall take effect on the ninety-first day after it shall
have become a law.