Establishes a senior dental services grant program; authorizes the director to establish the program and, upon the availability of appropriations, provide grants to eligible elderly persons who are in need of such services.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5423
SPONSOR: Hyndman TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the elder law, in relation to establishing a senior
dental services grant program
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill would establish a grant program for the provision of dental
services exclusively for seniors in need of assistance.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Amends the Elder Law by adding a new section 215-c. Estab-
lishes the senior dental services grant program and establishes respon-
sibilities of the Director of the State Office for the Aging, income
criteria for participants, and a report on the viability of the program
for the future. Provides for a civil penalty not to exceed $250 for an
applicant who makes a false statement, submits false information or
conceals a material fact in order to receive such grant.
Section 2. Effective Date.
JUSTIFICATION:
A large population of senior citizens in New York receives health cover-
age from Medicare, Medicaid, or other managed care providers, most of
which do not provide dental services to its patients. Oral health is
essential to overall health because of the danger posed by mouth bacte-
ria, tooth decay, and poor tooth strength which can leave a senior maln-
ourished. Not-for-profit organizations and dental schools have attempted
to fill this service gap but have done so at a large personal expense.
This bill seeks to compensate those who have been able to provide
service and support their efforts going forward. It is vital to not
only keep current services up and running but to enable new programs to
provide services in parts of the state where they are desperately need-
ed.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5423
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 10, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Aging
AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to establishing a senior
dental services grant program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The elder law is amended by adding a new section 215-c to
2 read as follows:
3 § 215-c. Senior dental services grant program. 1. As used in this
4 section:
5 (a) "Dental services" shall include, but not be limited to, diagnoses,
6 tests, studies, treatment or analyses under the care and supervision of
7 a licensed dentist who is authorized to practice in this state. These
8 services may also include, but not be limited to, client assessment,
9 information and referrals.
10 (b) "Elderly" shall mean an individual sixty-five years of age or
11 older.
12 (c) "Director" shall mean the director of the office for the aging.
13 (d) "Coverage period" shall mean twenty-four consecutive calendar
14 months for which an eligible program participant has met the eligibility
15 requirements of subdivision three of this section.
16 2. The director is hereby authorized and directed, subject to the
17 availability of appropriations, to establish a grant program for dental
18 services to eligible elderly persons who are in need of such services.
19 3. Persons eligible for the grant program under this section shall
20 include:
21 (a) elderly unmarried residents whose income for the calendar year
22 immediately preceding the effective date of the coverage period is less
23 than or equal to two hundred percent of the federal poverty level for a
24 household size of one and who have no dental insurance; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04615-01-3
A. 5423 2
1 (b) elderly married residents whose combined spousal income for the
2 calendar year immediately preceding the effective date of the coverage
3 period is less than or equal to two hundred percent of the federal
4 poverty level for a household size of two and who have no dental insur-
5 ance.
6 4. The director shall promulgate any rules and regulations necessary
7 to carry out the provisions of this section which shall include but not
8 be limited to:
9 (a) a process of determining and re-determining eligibility at the end
10 of each coverage period for receiving services under this grant program
11 including provisions for submission of proof of income, age, and resi-
12 dency and information on existing complete or partial coverage of dental
13 expenses under a third party assistance or insurance plan;
14 (b) selection of up to six grant recipients through a request for
15 proposal process including due consideration to geographic distribution
16 and existing need for dental services for elderly individuals throughout
17 the state with priority given to accredited educational programs or
18 existing dental clinics serving the low income elderly; and
19 (c) the administration of such grants, which shall be used for the
20 direct provision of dental care and services to the elderly including,
21 but not limited to, dental services, equipment purchases, and travel
22 expenses.
23 5. Additionally, the director shall submit a report to the governor,
24 the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly,
25 prior to, but in no event later than, December thirty-first, in the year
26 following the effective date of this section, and annually thereafter,
27 which shall include, but not be limited to:
28 (a) financial reports of the grant program operations established
29 pursuant to this section;
30 (b) an analysis of the grant program's ability to provide such dental
31 services to eligible elderly persons;
32 (c) recommendations on the continuation of such grants and the need
33 for program expansion, if appropriate;
34 (d) profiles of the grant recipients; and
35 (e) other information deemed necessary by the director.
36 6. (a) No applicant for a grant provided for under this section shall
37 knowingly (i) make a false statement or representation concerning a
38 material fact, (ii) submit false information concerning a material fact,
39 or (iii) conceal a material fact, on an application to obtain a grant
40 provided for under this section.
41 (b) Any applicant who is found by the director, after notice and a
42 hearing, to have received a grant provided for under this section based
43 upon an application which violated paragraph (a) of this subdivision
44 shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed two hundred fifty
45 dollars.
46 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
47 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
48 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
49 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
50 on or before such effective date.
