§ 2530. Nurse-family partnership. 1. The commissioner is authorized to
establish, subject to federal financial participation and within amounts
appropriated therefor, the nurse-family partnership program, a Medicaid
program subject to title eleven of article five of the social services
law, aimed at improving the health of eligible participants.

2. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the
following meanings:

(a) "Eligible participant" means a person enrolled in medical
assistance under title eleven of article five of the social services law
who is a pregnant woman who will be a first-time mother; and her
newborn, either or both of whom is at risk for poor outcomes.
"Participant" means an eligible participant who is participating in the
nurse-family partnership program.

(b) "Nurse-family partnership program" or "program" means the
nurse-family partnership program established under this section.

(c) "Nurse-family partnership provider" or "provider" means a county
health department, including the health department of the city of New
York, or an entity in contract with such a health department to provide
services under the program or an entity that contracts directly with the
commissioner to provide services under this program.

(d) "Case management services" means services that assist a
participant in gaining access to needed medical, social, educational,
and other services, including: an assessment to determine service needs;
development of a care plan based on the assessment; referral to medical,
social, educational and other providers; and monitoring and other
follow-up activities to ensure that the care plan is effectively
implemented and addresses the assessed needs.

3. The nurse-family partnership program is a nurse home-visiting
program in which a nurse-family partnership provider provides case
management and nursing services (primarily nurse home visits to
participants) to eligible participants up to the child's second
birthday. Participation in the program shall be voluntary for eligible
participants.

4. A nurse-family partnership provider shall be approved by a
nationally-recognized organization involved with nurse-family
partnership programs, designated by the commissioner, and shall meet
such other criteria as established by the commissioner.

5. The commissioner may establish the nurse-family partnership program
in one or more social services districts and may establish program
enrollment limits based on analysis of need and available
appropriations.

6. Nurse-family partnership program services provided by a provider to
an eligible participant under this section shall be deemed to be medical
assistance services under title eleven of article five of the social
services law. The commissioner may establish, subject to the approval of
the director of the division of the budget, rates of payment to
nurse-family partnership providers for providing nurse-family
partnership program services.

7. The commissioner shall submit all appropriate amendments to the
state plan for medical assistance and shall submit applications for
waivers of the federal social security act as shall be necessary to
obtain federal financial participation in the costs of services provided
pursuant to this section.