A03977 Summary:

BILL NOA03977
 
SAME ASSAME AS S04867
 
SPONSORAubry
 
COSPNSR
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Amd §2807-m, Pub Health L
 
Expands the Doctors Across New York program to include dentists.
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A03977 Actions:

BILL NOA03977
 
01/31/2019referred to health
01/08/2020referred to health
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A03977 Committee Votes:

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A03977 Floor Votes:

There are no votes for this bill in this legislative session.
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A03977 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          3977
 
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    January 31, 2019
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by M. of A. AUBRY -- 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 include dentists
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subdivision 5-a of section 2807-m  of  the
     2  public  health  law,  as amended by section 6 of part H of chapter 57 of
     3  the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
     4    (d) Physician and dentist loan repayment  program.  One  million  nine
     5  hundred  sixty  thousand dollars for the period January first, two thou-
     6  sand eight  through  December  thirty-first,  two  thousand  eight,  one
     7  million  nine  hundred  sixty  thousand  dollars  for the period January
     8  first, two thousand nine through  December  thirty-first,  two  thousand
     9  nine,  one  million  nine  hundred sixty thousand dollars for the period
    10  January first, two thousand ten through December thirty-first, two thou-
    11  sand ten, four hundred ninety thousand dollars for  the  period  January
    12  first,  two  thousand  eleven  through  March thirty-first, two thousand
    13  eleven, one million seven hundred thousand  dollars  each  state  fiscal
    14  year for the period April first, two thousand eleven through March thir-
    15  ty-first,  two  thousand  fourteen, up to one million seven hundred five
    16  thousand dollars each state fiscal year for the period April first,  two
    17  thousand  fourteen  through  March thirty-first, two thousand seventeen,
    18  and up to one million seven hundred five  thousand  dollars  each  state
    19  fiscal  year  for the period April first, two thousand seventeen through
    20  March thirty-first, two thousand twenty, shall be set aside and reserved
    21  by the commissioner from the  regional  pools  established  pursuant  to
    22  subdivision  two  of this section and shall be available for purposes of
    23  physician and dentist loan repayment in accordance with subdivision  ten
    24  of this section. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this section,
    25  sections  one  hundred  twelve  and one hundred sixty-three of the state
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04143-01-9

        A. 3977                             2
 
     1  finance law, or any other contrary provision of law, such funding  shall
     2  be  allocated  regionally with one-third of available funds going to New
     3  York city and two-thirds of available funds going to  the  rest  of  the
     4  state  and  shall  be  distributed  in  a manner to be determined by the
     5  commissioner without a competitive bid or request for  proposal  process
     6  as follows:
     7    (i) Funding shall first be awarded to repay loans of up to twenty-five
     8  physicians  who  train  in  primary care or specialty tracks in teaching
     9  general hospitals, and who enter and remain in primary care or specialty
    10  practices in underserved communities, as determined by the commissioner.
    11    (ii) After distributions in accordance with subparagraph (i)  of  this
    12  paragraph, all remaining funds shall be awarded to repay loans of physi-
    13  cians  or  dentists  who  enter  and remain in primary care or specialty
    14  practices in underserved communities, as determined by the commissioner,
    15  including but not limited to physicians or dentists working  in  general
    16  hospitals, or other health care facilities.
    17    (iii)  In no case shall less than fifty percent of the funds available
    18  pursuant to this paragraph be distributed in  accordance  with  subpara-
    19  graphs  (i) and (ii) of this paragraph to physicians or dentists identi-
    20  fied by general hospitals.
    21    (iv) In addition to the funds allocated under this paragraph, for  the
    22  period April first, two thousand fifteen through March thirty-first, two
    23  thousand  sixteen,  two  million  dollars  shall  be  available  for the
    24  purposes described in subdivision ten of this section;
    25    (v) In addition to the funds allocated under this paragraph,  for  the
    26  period April first, two thousand sixteen through March thirty-first, two
    27  thousand  seventeen,  two  million  dollars  shall  be available for the
    28  purposes described in subdivision ten of this section;
    29    (vi) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, and subject
    30  to the extension of the Health Care Reform Act of 1996, sufficient funds
    31  shall be available for the purposes described in subdivision ten of this
    32  section in amounts necessary to fund the remaining year commitments  for
    33  awards made pursuant to subparagraphs (iv) and (v) of this paragraph.
    34    §  2. Paragraph (e) of subdivision 5-a of section 2807-m of the public
    35  health law, as amended by section 6 of part H of chapter 57 of the  laws
    36  of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
    37    (e)  Physician and dentist practice support. Four million nine hundred
    38  thousand dollars for  the  period  January  first,  two  thousand  eight
    39  through  December  thirty-first,  two  thousand eight, four million nine
    40  hundred thousand dollars annually for  the  period  January  first,  two
    41  thousand  nine  through  December  thirty-first,  two  thousand ten, one
    42  million two hundred twenty-five thousand dollars for the period  January
    43  first,  two  thousand  eleven  through  March thirty-first, two thousand
    44  eleven, four million three hundred thousand dollars  each  state  fiscal
    45  year for the period April first, two thousand eleven through March thir-
    46  ty-first,  two thousand fourteen, up to four million three hundred sixty
    47  thousand dollars each state fiscal year for the period April first,  two
    48  thousand  fourteen  through  March thirty-first, two thousand seventeen,
    49  and up to four million three hundred sixty  thousand  dollars  for  each
    50  state  fiscal  year  for  the period April first, two thousand seventeen
    51  through March thirty-first, two thousand twenty, shall be set aside  and
    52  reserved  by the commissioner from the regional pools established pursu-
    53  ant to subdivision two of  this  section  and  shall  be  available  for
    54  purposes  of physician and dentist practice support. Notwithstanding any
    55  contrary provision of this section, sections one hundred twelve and  one
    56  hundred  sixty-three  of  the  state  finance law, or any other contrary

        A. 3977                             3
 
     1  provision of law, such funding shall be allocated regionally  with  one-
     2  third of available funds going to New York city and two-thirds of avail-
     3  able  funds going to the rest of the state and shall be distributed in a
     4  manner to be determined by the commissioner without a competitive bid or
     5  request for proposal process as follows:
     6    (i)  Preference in funding shall first be accorded to teaching general
     7  hospitals for up to twenty-five awards, to  support  costs  incurred  by
     8  physicians or dentists trained in primary or specialty tracks who there-
     9  after  establish or join practices in underserved communities, as deter-
    10  mined by the commissioner.
    11    (ii) After distributions in accordance with subparagraph (i)  of  this
    12  paragraph,  all  remaining  funds  shall  be  awarded  to  physicians or
    13  dentists to support the cost of establishing  or  joining  practices  in
    14  underserved  communities,  as  determined  by  the  commissioner, and to
    15  hospitals and other health care providers to recruit new  physicians  or
    16  dentists  to  provide services in underserved communities, as determined
    17  by the commissioner.
    18    (iii) In no case shall less than fifty percent of the funds  available
    19  pursuant  to  this  paragraph  be  distributed  to  general hospitals in
    20  accordance with subparagraphs (i) and (ii) of this paragraph.
    21    § 3. Subdivision 10 of section 2807-m of the public health  law,    as
    22  added by section 75-e of part C of chapter 58 of the laws of 2008, para-
    23  graphs  (a)  and (c) as amended by section 13 of part B of chapter 58 of
    24  the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
    25    10. Physician and dentist loan repayment program.  (a) Beginning Janu-
    26  ary first, two thousand eight, the commissioner  is  authorized,  within
    27  amounts  available  pursuant  to  subdivision five-a of this section, to
    28  make loan repayment awards to primary care physicians  and  dentists  or
    29  other  physician  and dentist specialties determined by the commissioner
    30  to be in short supply, licensed to practice medicine or dentistry in New
    31  York state, who agree to practice for at least five years in  an  under-
    32  served  area,  as  determined  by  the  commissioner.  Such physician or
    33  dentist shall be eligible for a  loan  repayment  award  of  up  to  one
    34  hundred  fifty  thousand  dollars over a five year period distributed as
    35  follows: fifteen percent of total loan debt not to exceed  twenty  thou-
    36  sand  dollars for the first year; fifteen percent of total loan debt not
    37  to exceed twenty-five thousand  dollars  for  the  second  year;  twenty
    38  percent  of  total  loan debt not to exceed thirty-five thousand dollars
    39  for the third year; and twenty-five percent of total loan  debt  not  to
    40  exceed  thirty-five  thousand  dollars per year for the fourth year; and
    41  any unpaid balance of the total loan debt  not  to  exceed  the  maximum
    42  award amount for the fifth year of practice in such area.
    43    (b)  Loan  repayment awards made to a physician or dentist pursuant to
    44  paragraph (a) of this subdivision shall not exceed the total  qualifying
    45  outstanding debt of the physician or dentist from student loans to cover
    46  tuition and other related educational expenses, made by or guaranteed by
    47  the  federal  or  state  government, or made by a lending or educational
    48  institution approved under title IV of the federal higher education act.
    49  Loan repayment awards shall be used solely  to  repay  such  outstanding
    50  debt.
    51    (c) In the event that a five-year commitment pursuant to the agreement
    52  referenced  in  paragraph  (a) of this subdivision is not fulfilled, the
    53  recipient shall be responsible for repayment in amounts which  shall  be
    54  calculated  in  accordance with the formula set forth in subdivision (b)
    55  of section two hundred fifty-four-o of title  forty-two  of  the  United
    56  States Code, as amended.

        A. 3977                             4
 
     1    (d)  The  commissioner  is authorized to apply any funds available for
     2  purposes of paragraph (a) of this subdivision for use as matching  funds
     3  for federal grants for the purpose of assisting states in operating loan
     4  repayment  programs  pursuant to section three hundred thirty-eight I of
     5  the public health service act.
     6    (e)  The  commissioner may postpone, change or waive the service obli-
     7  gation and repayment amounts  set  forth  in  paragraphs  (a)  and  (c),
     8  respectively of this subdivision in individual circumstances where there
     9  is compelling need or hardship.
    10    (f)(i)  When  a  physician or dentist is not actually practicing in an
    11  underserved area, he or she shall be  deemed  to  be  practicing  in  an
    12  underserved  area if he or she practices in a facility or physician's or
    13  dentist's office that primarily  serves  an  underserved  population  as
    14  determined by the commissioner, without regard to whether the population
    15  or  the  facility  or  physician's  or dentist's office is located in an
    16  underserved area.
    17    (ii) In making criteria and determinations as to whether an area is an
    18  underserved area or whether  a  facility  or  physician's  or  dentist's
    19  office  primarily serves an underserved population, the commissioner may
    20  make separate criteria and determinations for different specialties.
    21    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
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