STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6033
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 21, 2017
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, GOTTFRIED -- read once and referred
to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to expanding the
Doctors Across New York program to physicians who serve geriatric
populations
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subparagraphs (i) and (ii) of paragraph (d) of subdivision
2 5-a of section 2807-m of the public health law, as amended by section 9
3 of part B of chapter 60 of the laws of 2014, are amended to read as
4 follows:
5 (i) Funding shall first be awarded to repay loans of up to twenty-five
6 physicians who train in primary care or specialty tracks in teaching
7 general hospitals, and who enter and remain in primary care or specialty
8 practices in underserved communities or serving geriatric populations,
9 as determined by the commissioner.
10 (ii) After distributions in accordance with subparagraph (i) of this
11 paragraph, all remaining funds shall be awarded to repay loans of physi-
12 cians who enter and remain in primary care or specialty practices in
13 underserved communities or serving geriatric populations, as determined
14 by the commissioner, including but not limited to physicians working in
15 general hospitals, or other health care facilities.
16 § 2. Subparagraphs (i) and (ii) of paragraph (e) of subdivision 5-a of
17 section 2807-m of the public health law, as amended by section 9 of part
18 B of chapter 60 of the laws of 2014, are amended to read as follows:
19 (i) Preference in funding shall first be accorded to teaching general
20 hospitals for up to twenty-five awards, to support costs incurred by
21 physicians trained in primary or specialty tracks who thereafter estab-
22 lish or join practices in underserved communities or in geriatric popu-
23 lations, as determined by the commissioner.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09621-01-7
A. 6033 2
1 (ii) After distributions in accordance with subparagraph (i) of this
2 paragraph, all remaining funds shall be awarded to physicians to support
3 the cost of establishing or joining practices in underserved communities
4 or in geriatric populations, as determined by the commissioner, and to
5 hospitals and other health care providers to recruit new physicians to
6 provide services in underserved communities or in geriatric populations,
7 as determined by the commissioner.
8 § 3. Paragraphs (a) and (f) of subdivision 10 of section 2807-m of the
9 public health law, paragraph (a) as amended by section 13 of part B of
10 chapter 58 of the laws of 2010 and paragraph (f) as added by section
11 75-e of part C of chapter 58 of the laws of 2008, are amended to read as
12 follows:
13 (a) Beginning January first, two thousand eight, the commissioner is
14 authorized, within amounts available pursuant to subdivision five-a of
15 this section, to make loan repayment awards to primary care physicians
16 or other physician specialties determined by the commissioner to be in
17 short supply, licensed to practice medicine in New York state, who agree
18 to practice for at least five years in an underserved area or to serve a
19 geriatric population, as determined by the commissioner. Such physician
20 shall be eligible for a loan repayment award of up to one hundred fifty
21 thousand dollars over a five year period distributed as follows: fifteen
22 percent of total loan debt not to exceed twenty thousand dollars for the
23 first year; fifteen percent of total loan debt not to exceed twenty-five
24 thousand dollars for the second year; twenty percent of total loan debt
25 not to exceed thirty-five thousand dollars for the third year; and twen-
26 ty-five percent of total loan debt not to exceed thirty-five thousand
27 dollars per year for the fourth year; and any unpaid balance of the
28 total loan debt not to exceed the maximum award amount for the fifth
29 year of practice in such area.
30 (f)(i) When a physician is not actually practicing in an underserved
31 area or in a geriatric population, he or she shall be deemed to be prac-
32 ticing in an underserved area or in a geriatric population if he or she
33 practices in a facility or physician's office that primarily serves an
34 underserved population as determined by the commissioner, without regard
35 to whether the population or the facility or physician's office is
36 located in an underserved area or in an area with a geriatric
37 population.
38 (ii) In making criteria and determinations as to whether an area is an
39 underserved area or in an area with a geriatric population or whether a
40 facility or physician's office primarily serves an underserved popu-
41 lation, the commissioner may make separate criteria and determinations
42 for different specialties.
43 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.