Health Care Reform in New York Addressed by Gov Hochul Jan 10

On January 10, New York Governor Kathy Hochul delivered her 2023 “State of the State” speech. The speech covered a number of healthcare reform initiatives. This is a strong indication that New York will prioritize healthcare issues and spending over the next year. Below is a summary of Governor Ho-Chol’s high-priced healthcare agenda items.

First, Gov. Ho-Chol outlined how New York will use the historic $20 billion multi-year healthcare spending bill to build New York’s healthcare system by:

• Established the Commission on the Future of Healthcare, New York’s strategy for ongoing innovation on how New Yorkers pay for and deliver healthcare, given the transition and adoption of digital, ambulatory, and home-based services support the guidance of appropriate responses.

• Establish a new capital grant fund for healthcare technology.

• Reform personnel practices of traveling nurse agencies to reduce healthcare costs and require staffing agencies to register and report operational data.

• Expand the “scope of practice” for healthcare providers by participating in the Interstate Licensing Agreement and the Nurse Licensing Agreement.When

• Streamline the approval process for New York healthcare projects. This includes a Certificate of Need process and procedures to ensure that private sector healthcare transactions are financially sustainable and support access to quality and care goals.

Second, Governor Ho-Chol promised to improve access to and quality of mental and behavioral health care. To achieve these goals, Governor Hochul proposed the following:

• Prohibits insurers from denying access to medically necessary, high-need, emergency, and critical mental health services and adopts bookability and geographic accessibility standards for behavioral health services Expand coverage of mental health services by

• expand mental health services for school-age children whose needs and access to mental health services have been particularly affected by pandemic-related school closures;

• 1,000-bed capacity for inpatient psychiatric care, including requiring Article 28 regional hospitals to utilize all existing beds and invest $27.5 million to support increased hospitalizations; minutes.

• Improve mental health care coordination and planning by creating a system of accountability from admission to discharge and post-acute care, including critical time intervention care coordination teams.

• Dramatically expand outpatient services with 12 new psychiatric emergency services and 40 new treatment teams, mobilize to reach the most at-risk New Yorkers, and provide walk-in integrative behavioral health care Expansion of accredited community behavioral health clinics.When

• Ensure payment parity for behavioral health services delivered in person or via telemedicine.

Third, Governor Ho-Chol’s administration plans to “strengthen the foundation” of New York’s health care system by:

• Expanding Medicaid coverage for preventive health services and a Medicaid buy-in program for New Yorkers with disabilities.

• Prevent creditors from foreclosing on homes and wages to secure medical debt; amend the Consumer Credit Fairness Act to cover medical debt; invest in medical debt literacy; Protect New Yorkers from burdensome medical debt and costs by requiring the use of an application for assistance. shape;

• Improve primary care by expanding access and increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates.

• Ensure access to quality long-term care, including investing in care teams to provide care for low-income adults at home.

• Activate emergency medical services and medical transport, including allowing EMTs to treat people in the community.When

• Support continued collaboration between the Department of Addiction Services and Support and the Department of Health to address the state’s substance abuse epidemic.

Finally, Governor Hochul emphasized the need for emergency preparedness. In her speech, she explained how New York will prepare for future emergencies:

• Modernize New York’s health reporting system to make the way health data is stored and transmitted more secure, and the way we use it more efficient and effective.

• Rebuild the Wadsworth Institute to advance cutting-edge research on biomedical and environmental issues important to the health of New Yorkers.When

• Strengthen New York’s public health emergency response capabilities in light of lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can read the full State of the State book here. Many of these proposals will be included in the Governor’s Budget, which is expected to be released around February 1st, with a final budget passing through legislative review and negotiations around April 1st.

Understanding the state’s health care policy and investment goals is important for health care companies and stakeholders as they plan and develop their business goals for the year. Our healthcare team can help assess and implement strategies to address upcoming changes.

This article was authored by Jacquelyn R. Daniel of Proskauer Rose LLP.