S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  283--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. PAULIN, SAYEGH, BERGER, McMAHON, ROZIC, WALSH,
   HEVESI, GIGLIO,  SANTABARBARA,  ZINERMAN,  MEEKS,  DINOWITZ,  GRIFFIN,
   CLARK  -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health -- commit-
   tee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and  recom-
   mitted to said committee
 
 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
 CONTRACT WITH AN INDEPENDENT ENTITY TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY AND
 REVIEW OF THE EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM INCLUDING THE MODELS OF SERVICE
 DELIVERY,  MODALITIES  OF  SERVICE  DELIVERY  SUCH AS IN-PERSON OR TELE-
 HEALTH, 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  INDI-
 VIDUALIZED 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 THE STATE'S EARLY INTERVENTION RULES, REGULATIONS, AND
 POLICIES,  INCLUDING  PROGRAM  POLICIES  AND PROCESSES, INCLUDING FAMILY
 GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES AND REVENUE SOURCES, AND HOW SUCH COMPARE TO  OTHER
 STATES;
   (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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD00007-02-5
 A. 283--A                           2
 
   (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  IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND EFFICIENCY OF THE
 PROGRAM AND MAINTAINING OR CHANGING REIMBURSEMENT METHODOLOGIES.  RECOM-
 MENDATIONS 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  APPROPRIATE  PAYMENT
 METHODOLOGIES  AND RATES FOR IN-PERSON AND TELEHEALTH EARLY INTERVENTION
 EVALUATIONS AND SERVICES, INCLUDING  ENHANCED  RATES  OR  MODIFIERS,  TO
 ADDRESS  BARRIERS  IN  TIMELY  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,  HISTORICALLY  UNDERSERVED  AREAS  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, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED  TO
 PARENTS,  CAREGIVERS, PROVIDERS AND MUNICIPALITIES ON CURRENT RATE METH-
 ODOLOGIES AND STUDY DESIGN.
   2.  SUCH REVIEW SHALL ALSO INCLUDE AN ASSESSMENT OF THE  ACCESSIBILITY
 OF THE PROGRAM AND EFFICACY OF PROGRAM MODELS FOR THE PROVISION OF EARLY
 INTERVENTION  SERVICES,  INCLUDING,  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 CONFIGURA-
 TION,  INCLUDING BARRIERS TO FULLER UTILIZATIONS, AND UTILIZATION DISAG-
 GREGATED BY CLINICAL SERVICE.
   3.  WITHIN TWO YEARS 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; provided, however, that
 the department of health shall issue a request for  proposals  no  later
 than one hundred eighty days after this act shall have become a law.