BILL NUMBER: S2076

SPONSOR: BENJAMIN
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the social services law, in relation
to providing managed care enrollees access to the services of the foot
center of New York

 
PURPOSE:

Provides managed care enrollees access to the services of the foot
center of New York.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends the following: Re-letters paragraph (f) of subpara-
graph (iii) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 4 of section 364-j to (G)
and adds a new clause (F) to mandate the reporting of services provided
at an academic podiatry center. Section 2. This act shall take effect
immediately, provided however, that the amendment to section 364-j of
the social services law made by sections one and two of this act shall
not affect the repeal of such section and shall be deemed to be repealed
              

therewith..

 
EXISTING LAW:

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The affordability and accessibility of podiatric services such as those
provided by an academic podiatry center is a lifeline for residents in
low-income communities like Harlem where the many fight diabetes while
they are on some form of public assistance. Podiatric care can be an
important way for people to manage their diabetes, which is a serious
public health problem.

More than half a million adult New Yorkers have been diagnosed with
diabetes but an additional 200,000 have diabetes but do not yet know it.
Diabetes and diabetes-associated cardiovascular disease are leading
causes of death in NYC.

These figures are worse in East Harlem where residents have up to 5
times the mortality rates of diabetes as compared with NYC residents
overall, and very many individuals are on Medicaid or Medicare, or unin-
sured. Given these alarming facts, providing affordable and accessible
care at podiatry clinics such as Foot Care Center of New York-the only
podiatric clinic in upper Manhattan-is a citywide imperative. Under the
Managed Long Term Care reform enrollees have lost access to the podiatry
clinic. Some can have been able to receive care at a distant location.
Some receive care in an emergency room when their condition has gone go
undetected or untreated for too long. "Free access" means that managed
care plan enrollees are free to access these clinics, regardless of
whether the clinic is in their plans network and without the plans prior
approval.

Currently, the State allows free access to managed care enrollees at the
SUNY College of Optometry as well as academic dental centers-but not for
academic podiatry centers.  According to the State Department of Health
Commissioner "free access requirements are pursuant to statute and are
not under the purview of the Department. This legislation amends the
Social Service Law to close this diasparity and provide equity for the
sole purpose of preserving the accessibility and affordability of the
specialty services which combat diabetes provided at the limited number
of podiatric clinics, like an academic podiatry center.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2017-18: A8762
2015-16: S.3384/A1054 Vetoed memo 215 (10/26/15).

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.