S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10175
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 10, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Paulin) --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law,  in  relation  to  a  review  and
   recommendations  of  reimbursement adequacy and other matters relating
   to early intervention
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  public health law is amended by adding a new section
 2557-a to read as follows:
   § 2557-A. EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM REVIEW. 1. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL
 CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY  AND  REVIEW  OF  THE  EARLY  INTERVENTION
 PROGRAM  INCLUDING  THE  MODELS  OF  SERVICE  DELIVERY  AND THE RATES OF
 REIMBURSEMENT FOR EACH SUCH SERVICE AND MODEL  MADE  THROUGH  THE  EARLY
 INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR EFFICACY, ADEQUACY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF SERVICE
 DELIVERY  AND  THE  FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF INDIVIDUALIZED FAMILY SERVICE
 PLANS. THE REVIEW SHALL INCLUDE:
   (A) A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE  EXISTING  METHODOLOGY  USED  TO
 DETERMINE   PAYMENT  FOR  EARLY  INTERVENTION  SCREENINGS,  EVALUATIONS,
 SERVICES AND SERVICE COORDINATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
   (I) ANALYSIS OF EARLY INTERVENTION RULES, REGULATIONS,  AND  POLICIES,
 INCLUDING POLICIES, PROCESSES, AND REVENUE SOURCES;
   (II)  ANALYSIS OF COSTS TO PROVIDERS PARTICIPATING IN THE EARLY INTER-
 VENTION PROGRAM, INCLUDING TIME AND COST OF TRAVEL,  SERVICE  PROVISION,
 AND ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES; AND
   (III)  ANALYSIS  BY  DISCIPLINE  AND LABOR REGION OF SALARY LEVELS FOR
 INDIVIDUALS PROVIDING EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES COMPARED TO THE SALARY
 LEVELS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN THE SAME DISCIPLINES AND LABOR REGIONS PROVID-
 ING SERVICES OTHER THAN IN THE EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM;
   (B) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MAINTAINING OR CHANGING REIMBURSEMENT  METHOD-
 OLOGIES.  RECOMMENDATIONS  UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH
 FEDERAL LAW AND SHALL INCLUDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR APPROPRIATE CHANGES IN
 STATE LAW AND REGULATIONS. THE RECOMMENDATIONS SHALL CONSIDER  APPROPRI-
 ATE  PAYMENT  METHODOLOGIES AND RATES FOR IN-PERSON AND TELEHEALTH EARLY
 INTERVENTION EVALUATIONS AND SERVICES  TO  ADDRESS  BARRIERS  IN  TIMELY
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD03582-03-4
 A. 10175                            2
 
 SERVICE  PROVISION  AS  WELL  AS RACIAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC DISPARITIES IN
 ACCESS, WITH CONSIDERATION OF FACTORS INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO,
 PAYMENT  FOR  BILINGUAL  SERVICES,  TRAVEL TIME, GEOGRAPHIC VARIABILITY,
 ACCESS  TO AND COST OF TECHNOLOGY, COST OF LIVING, AND OTHER BARRIERS TO
 TIMELY SERVICE PROVISION;
   (C) THE PROJECTED NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO WILL NEED EARLY  INTERVENTION
 SERVICES IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS DISAGGREGATED BY COUNTY;
   (D) THE WORKFORCE NEEDED TO PROVIDE SERVICES IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO
 ALL  CHILDREN ELIGIBLE FOR EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES, DISAGGREGATED BY
 COUNTY; AND
   (E) OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAKEHOLDER INPUT ON CURRENT RATE METHODOLOGIES.
   2.  SUCH REVIEW SHALL ALSO INCLUDE AN ASSESSMENT OF  THE  EFFICACY  OF
 PROGRAM MODELS FOR THE PROVISION OF EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES, INCLUD-
 ING,  BUT  NOT  LIMITED TO GROUP SERVICES, INDIVIDUAL SERVICES, FACILITY
 BASED SERVICES AND HOME-BASED SERVICES AND THE  CONFIGURATIONS  OF  SUCH
 SERVICE  MODELS. SUCH REVIEW SHALL INCLUDE A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF
 THE UTILIZATION OF EACH MODEL AND CONFIGURATION, INCLUDING  BARRIERS  TO
 FULLER UTILIZATIONS, AND UTILIZATION DISAGGREGATED BY CLINICAL SERVICE.
   3.    WITHIN  ONE  YEAR  AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, THE
 COMMISSIONER SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT OF THE FINDINGS  AND  RECOMMENDATIONS
 UNDER  THIS  SECTION  TO  THE  GOVERNOR,  THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE
 SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, AND THE CHAIRS OF  THE  SENATE  AND
 ASSEMBLY  COMMITTEES ON HEALTH, AND SHALL POST THE REPORT ON THE DEPART-
 MENT'S WEBSITE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.