BILL NUMBER:  S5927

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to increasing the
period of validity to 5 years for the commissioner of health's
identification of comprehensive care centers for eating disorders

 PURPOSE :

To extend the time period for designations of comprehensive care
centers for eating disorders.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section one amends subdivision 2 of section 2799-h of the Public
Health Law to provide for the designation of comprehensive care
centers for eating disorders to be undertaken every five years, rather
than the existing requirement of re-designation every two years.

Section two of the bill provides that the legislation would take
effect immediately, but would not affect the expiration of the
underlying statute.

 JUSTIFICATION :

              

Eating disorders are complex and serious illnesses that are expensive
to treat, especially when they become chronic. Close to 20 million
Americans suffer from eating disorders and, based on current
population and prevalence rates, approximately 800,000 New Yorkers
have had or will have an eating disorder in their lifetime. Eating
disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness
(20%), and are often accompanied by co-morbid physical and mental
health conditions such as cardiac arrhythmias, substance abuse,
depression, and severe anxiety. Treatment requires specialized and
intensive care. With a rise in hospitalizations for eating disorders
in the US over the last 10 years, programs to prevent illness and
improve treatments for individuals with eating disorders are critical.

Legislation signed into law on June 21, 2004 established the New York
State Comprehensive Care Centers for Eating Disorders (CCCED) in order
to conduct public awareness activities and research into eating
disorders, and provide care to individuals with these disorders. The
New York State Comprehensive Care Centers for Eating Disorders (CCCED)
continue to provide quality, coordinated care for patients with eating
disorders across the care continuum and foster relapse prevention and
sustained recovery in the community. In order to provide statewide
access to their unique services, three centers have been designated by
the Department of Health:

*Northeast Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders at Albany
Medical Center;

*Metro Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders at New
York-Presbyterian Hospital; and

*Western New York Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders at
University of Rochester

Unlike most other public health and disease centers designated by the
Department of Health, these centers are required by their authorizing
legislation to be re-designated every two years, rather than the more
common duration of five years. This designation process requires
significant staff time both at the Comprehensive Care Centers and at
the Department of Health where the recertification is determined.

Staff time lost to the re-designation process is time taken away for
services to help patients, families, and the communities affected.

In order to avoid unnecessary administrative expense for the Centers
and the Department and to align with the designation timeframes of
other public health centers designated by the Department of Health,
this legislation proposes to extend the designation for Comprehensive
Care Centers for Eating Disorders from two years to five years.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None. The extension of the designation period should reduce
administrative burdens on the Centers and on the Department of Health
and may thereby free up resources that might be used for other
purposes.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
Immediate.