Update on HCANYS Key Legislation
The Situation Report | May 27, 2025
This year’s legislative session is scheduled to conclude in about three weeks. Since the update in last week’s Situation report, there have been additional developments on legislation that is key to the home care sector.
HCANYS will continue its advocacy efforts on various bills that are getting the Legislature’s attention as the session starts to wind down. These include both proactive areas for legislation to support the field, as well as vigilance and counteraction on proposals detrimental to patients, services, workers, and/or agencies.
Bills currently in HCANYS spotlight for action include:
State Aid for Home Health Community Need - S.6981 (Webb) / A.1493 (Paulin)
Written by HCANYS and our member workgroup, this bill amends the public health law to provide for an annual state aid program for home health agencies to meet community need. The bill is currently in the Senate and Assembly Health Committees. HCANYS is in active negotiations with both the Senate and Assembly as recently as this morning to address perceived issues with the bill text.
CHHA Episodic Rate - S.7052 (Webb) / A.7013A (Paulin)
Written by HCANYS, VNSHealth, and our member workgroup, this bill amends the CHHA EPS Medicaid rate methodology to authorize adjustments in the rates for costs (such as workforce, technology, other) not reflected in the reimbursable base year. Also makes the EPS rate method available for payor-provider use in rate setting for managed care and for non-Medicaid home care payors. The bill is currently in the Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Health Committee. HCANYS has been actively working with our partners on this legislation to develop strategy for the final weeks of session, including the possibility of amendments to help ease the bill through the committee process.
Mental Health/HomeCare Collaboration - S.997 (Brouk)
Written by HCANYS, this bill allows regulatory, procedural and reimbursement flexibility to facilitate collaborative care by mental health and home health agencies partnering to deliver seamless, coordinated care to individuals with co-occurring conditions. HCANYS has issued a memorandum in support of this legislation which is currently in the Senate Mental Health Committee.
Hospital-HomeCare-Physician-EMS Collaboration Model - S.5333 (Rivera) / A.1309 (Paulin)
This bill authorizes the addition EMS services to Hospital-HomeCare-Physician Collaboration Program for a jointly partnered, collaborative community medicine and paramedicine service opportunity. This bill in the Health Committees in the Senate and Assembly. In the Senate, the bill is on the agenda for the next Health Committee meeting (5/28/25).
Community Medicine & Paramedicine (CMPM) Program Support
Written by HCANYS, this proposal ensures that CMPM pilot programs currently being conducted in seven regions of the state under a Mother Cabrini Health Foundation grant to HCANYS be allowed to operate with regulatory flexibility similar to the scope provided for community paramedicine programs under separate state law extended in this year’s State Budget. HCANYS continues active discussion of this proposal with the Chairs of the Health Committees in the Senate and Assembly.
LHCSA RFO Repeal - S.7874 (Rivera) / A.8137 (Paulin)
Newly introduced bill that repeals the section of law that would require authorization for a LHCSA to enroll as a provider under the Medicaid program. HCANYS has strongly opposed this underlying “RFO” law from the outset, and supports this newly introduced bill to repeal it. Bill is currently on the agenda for the Senate Health Committee meeting on 5/28. In the Assembly, the bill is in the Health Committee.
Restriction on Consecutive Nurse Hours - S.7994 (Ramos) / A.8615 (Bronson)
Newly introduced bill that adds home care visits to existing provisions of law prohibiting health care employers from requiring a nurse to work more than such nurse's regularly scheduled work hours, including regularly scheduled home care visits. This bill is in the Senate and Assembly Labor Committees. HCANYS issued opposition memos to this bill in the past and is reviewing this year as well.
HC/Hospice Workforce Labor Market Analysis A.3354 (Bronson)
Written by HCANYS, this bill requires an analysis of the competitive labor market for home care and hospice. The bill also requires recommendations to be made as to the level of reimbursement needed in the system to enable home care and hospice to recruit and retain sufficient staff to meet the community’s needs. The bill is in the Assembly Labor Committee.
CDPAP SFI - S.7954 (Rivera) / A.8355 (Paulin)
Newly introduced bill that authorizes additional entities to serve as FIs in NYS. Bill is in the Senate and Assembly Health Committees. HCANYS is continuing to work with both houses of the Legislature and the Executive to improve support for the CDPAP.
CDPAP SFI - S.1189 (Rivera) / A.2735 (Stirpe)
Previously introduced legislation to replace the Single Statewide FI program with a State Licensure program allowing multiple FIs. This bill has advanced to the Senate Finance Committee. In the Assembly, the bill is in the Assembly Health Committee. HCANYS is continuing to work with both houses of the Legislature and the Executive to improve support for the CDPAP.
LHCSA Statistical Report - S.7531 (C. Ryan) / A.7909 (Lunsford)
Written by HCANYS, this bill improves the process for filing the LCHSA Statistical Report with the NYS Department of Health. The bill advanced through the Senate Health Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar. In the Assembly, the bill is in the Health Committee.
Home Care Educational Materials for Veterans – S.7786A (Addabbo) / A.7627A (Kay)
Written by HCANYS, this bill authorizes the State Department of Veterans' Services to consult and collaborate with the federal department of veterans affairs, the department of health, the state office for the aging, and other HCBS experts (providers and associations) to develop educational materials for veterans and their families about accessibility to home and community-based services. This bill passed the Assembly (143-0) and is currently in the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.