Authorizes the commissioner of health to approve certain reimbursement rates for certain programs established by not-for-profit and public skilled nursing facilities in upstate New York nursing home regions that are designed to work collaboratively on efforts to improve nursing home efficiency, staffing, and quality of care.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8738
SPONSOR: Bronson TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to reimbursement
rates for certain programs established by not-for-profit and public
skilled nursing facilities in upstate New York nursing home regions
PURPOSE:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to reimbursement
rates for certain programs established by not-for-profit and public
skilled nursing facilities in upstate New York nursing home regions.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section One: Establishes that the commissioner would be authorized to
grant approval to eligible nursing home facilities in any of the five
nursing home regions of New York pending a sufficient application for
such funds.
Section Two: Establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
The dire financial and capacity challenges facing the Rochester area
not-for-profit hospital systems and long-term care facilities (nursing
homes) are unique in severity and causation, as recently acknowledged by
Department of Health Commissioner McDonald during the Health/Medicaid
Joint Legislative Budget Hearing. This legislation will help address
these unique financial and capacity challenges which are impeding hospi-
tal systems' abilities to discharge patients to nursing homes. Allowing
all eligible programs in the five nursing home regions of Upstate New
York to work collaboratively will make region-wide care more efficient,
and of higher quality. Funding the Upstate CINERGY Demonstration Project
will provide a restored continuum of care to some of our community's
most vulnerable populations while incentivizing improved quality, effi-
ciencies, and fiscal soundness at our not-for-profit nursing homes.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8738
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
June 2, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BRONSON, CLARK -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to reimbursement
rates for certain programs established by not-for-profit and public
skilled nursing facilities in upstate New York nursing home regions
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 2826 of the public health law is amended by adding
2 a new subdivision (h) to read as follows:
3 (h) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the commis-
4 sioner is authorized to grant approval to eligible programs established
5 by not-for-profit and public skilled nursing facilities in any of the
6 five nursing home regions in upstate New York, which are designed to
7 work collaboratively on efforts to improve nursing home efficiency,
8 staffing, and quality of care. Upon application by the regional program,
9 the commissioner shall approve those regions which apply for such desig-
10 nation who can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the commissioner,
11 that the programs present a collaborative effort designed to improve the
12 quality of nursing home care and services and that appropriate program
13 structural safeguards are included to prevent any collusion or anti-com-
14 petitive practices.
15 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13192-01-5
