The Western New York Alliance for Person-Centered Care (WNYAPCC) held a region-wide symposium on culture change and person-centered care on March 10. Read the full story

The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) of the New York State Attorney General’s office reached a $24 million settlement with three home health care agencies that allegedly billed Medicaid for services provided by hundreds of home health aides who lacked proper training credentials. Read the full story

“Do you know where your tax dollars are going?” That’s the theme of a public relations and advocacy campaign launched by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East to reform the home care industry in New York. Read the full story

Employment gains made in New York’s home health care industry were responsible for the recovery of the city’s overall health care jobs market between 2002 and 2008, according to an analysis published in the September 2009 issue of Monthly Labor Review. Read the full story

A new law in New York State will require nursing homes, hospitals, and diagnostic and treatment centers to publicly disclose staffing information beginning March 16, 2010.

As a result of the Nursing Care Quality Protection Act, which Gov. David Paterson (D) signed on September 16, patients and families will be able to review the staff-patient ratios on units and shifts in those health care facilities. Consumers will also be able to find out how the facilities determine direct-care staffing. Read the full story

By Carol Rodat, PHI New York Policy Director

Now that the state budget has passed, the governor and the New York state legislature have turned their attention to a variety of other issues, notably health insurance coverage.

The most sweeping proposal is that which was introduced in both houses by the chairs of the health committees, Assemblyman Richard Gottfried and Senator Thomas Duane. These bills (A7854/S4884) would create universal coverage for New Yorkers under New York Health Plus, a program based on Family Health Plus and Child Health Plus.

Under the proposal, New Yorkers would have a choice of plans including a publicly sponsored plan and would pay no premiums. A payroll tax, modeled on that which Medicare uses, and surcharge on upper bracket non-wage and salary taxable income would finance the proposal.

A full report describing New York Health Plus is available at Assemblyman Gottfried’s website.

Senator Neil Breslin, chair of the New York State Senate Insurance Committee, has introduced a bill (S5742) in the State Senate on behalf of Governor Paterson that takes more moderate steps towards coverage. This proposal would:

• Extend COBRA from 18 to 36 months, helping those individuals who have lost their jobs retain coverage if they can afford the premiums;
• Permit coverage of unmarried young adult dependents up to age 29 under the parent’s employer-sponsored coverage; and,
• Require health plans to get permission from the Superintendent of Insurance before increasing premiums; and,
• Institute a variety of managed care reforms that providers and consumers have requested such as setting a requirement for the number of providers in a network and reducing the time to review post-hospital authorizations from managed care companies to one business day.

PHI’s recent survey and report on the coverage status of home care aides in New York sheds additional light on the New York Health Plus proposal and its effect on home care workers. For example, many home care employers do not currently offer coverage due to premium costs and would likely oppose a payroll tax.

In addition, those personal care aides who are currently using Family Health Plus have found the eligibility process to be onerous and one which resulted in fewer individuals being covered.