BILL NUMBER:  S3293

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the public health law, in relation
to expanding the originating sites at which telehealth services may be
delivered

 PURPOSE :

To authorize the delivery of telehealth services at any elementary or
secondary school, or child care program or center within the state.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section one amends subdivision 3 of section 2999-cc of the public
health law as amended by chapter 167 of the laws of 2015, by expanding
the meaning of originating site to include public, private and charter
elementary and secondary schools, school age child care programs, and
child day care centers within the state of New York.

Section two provides the effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

This legislation would expand the definition of originating site to
allow primary care providers to use telehealth to connect with and
provide care to young children while they are in school or at a child
              

care setting where they spend so much of their time. Specifically,
these amendments would support existing models, such as the
Health-e-Access (HeA) Telemedicine model, which is supported by the
Strong Pediatric Practice at the University of Rochester Medical
Center, as well as future models. The HeA model is an internet-based
patient care approach that connects the patient to his/her primary
care medical home (PCMH). Telehealth models of care allow for services
to reach patients where they are, even if there are not providers
available locally and also provides many other important benefits.
This legislation allows for children to access needed care from school
where they spend most of their time through telehealth.

Children with telemedicine access from child care or elementary school
make 22% fewer emergency department (ED) visits than closely matched
counterparts. Based on a separate analysis, for children with severe
disabilities Who attend a child development center, ED visits dropped
50% after HeA telemedicine services became available. Evidence also
suggests that HeA extends equity in access to impoverished, urban
families. This model was expanded in 2010 to extend HeA to older
adults in senior living communities.

The issue schools are facing when they are short staffed is not the
actual use of teletherapy, but whether or not reimburses for such
services using telemedicine is available when done in a school. When
schools are unable to bill for such services it often makes the use of
such service financially unfeasible. By adding schools to the list of
originating sites, schools will have a greater ability to consider
telehealth services when needed for their students.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New Bill

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None to state.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
The act shall take effect immediately.