§ 3600. Declaration of legislative findings and intent. The
legislature hereby finds and declares that the provision of high quality
home care services to residents of New York state is a priority concern.
Expanding these services to make them available throughout the state as
a viable part of the health care system and as an alternative to
institutional care should be a primary focus of the state's actions.

Home health care has only recently been recognized legislatively as an
integral part of the health care delivery system and has proven to have
an important and valuable role in patient care. The certified home
health agencies render a coordinated array of services to patients in
their homes, thereby avoiding prolonged institutionalization,
concomitant high costs and associated adverse social and medical
implications.

The legislature intends that there be a public commitment to the
appropriate provision and expansion of services rendered to the
residents of the state by certified home health agencies, to the
maintenance of a consistently high level of services by all home care
services agencies, to the central collection and public accessibility of
information concerning all organized home care services, and to the
adequate regulation and coordination of existing home care services.