NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A7725 Revised 6/4/2024
SPONSOR: Paulin
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to allowing physi-
cian assistants to serve as primary care practitioners for purposes of
Medicaid managed care plans
 
PURPOSE:
Allows physician assistants to serve as primary care practitioners for
the purposes of Medicaid managed care plans
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends paragraph (f) of subdivision 1 of section 364-j of the
social services law as it relates to physician assistants and primary
care practitioners. This section includes physician assistant in the
definition of primary care practitioners.
Section 2 amends subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 4 of
section 364-j of the social services law as it relates to managed care
providers. This section includes physician assistants to be considered
as managed care providers.
Section 3 provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Physician assistants must undergo a rigorous course of medical education
and training. They are authorized to practice in virtually any medical
field that doctors are trained in, including but not limited to primary
care. Physician assistants develop these competencies by working with
physicians and within a team-based care environment. Unfortunately, the
current statutory language defining primary care practitioners in the
New York state Medicaid program excludes physician assistants from serv-
ing as primary care practitioners.
Expanding the definition of primary care practitioners to include physi-
cian assistants would be a meaningful way to expand access to primary
care. Primary care provides preventative services that reduce urgent and
emergency care visits. This definition expansion will allow physician
assistants to serve as primary care practitioners, which will help
address the deficit of primary care practitioners that occurred prior to
COVID-19 and has been exacerbated since the pandemic.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-2022: S5956A/ A6056 Gottfried Vetoed
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
No negative fiscal implications. Cost savings to be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7725
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
June 6, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Health
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to allowing physi-
cian assistants to serve as primary care practitioners for purposes of
Medicaid managed care plans
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph (f) of subdivision 1 of section 364-j of the
2 social services law, as amended by chapter 649 of the laws of 1996, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 (f) "Primary care practitioner". A physician, physician assistant, or
5 nurse practitioner providing primary care to and management of the
6 medical and health care services of a participant served by a managed
7 care provider.
8 § 2. Subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 4 of section
9 364-j of the social services law, as amended by section 14 of part C of
10 chapter 58 of the laws of 2004, is amended to read as follows:
11 (i) a managed care provider shall arrange for access to and enrollment
12 of primary care practitioners and other medical services providers. Each
13 managed care provider shall possess the expertise and sufficient
14 resources to assure the delivery of quality medical care to participants
15 in an appropriate and timely manner and may include physicians, physi-
16 cian assistants, nurse practitioners, county health departments, provid-
17 ers of comprehensive health service plans licensed pursuant to article
18 forty-four of the public health law, and hospitals and diagnostic and
19 treatment centers licensed pursuant to article twenty-eight of the
20 public health law or otherwise authorized by law to offer comprehensive
21 health services or facilities licensed pursuant to articles sixteen,
22 thirty-one and thirty-two of the mental hygiene law.
23 § 3. This act shall become effective immediately; provided however,
24 that the amendments to section 364-j of the social services law made by
25 sections one and two of this act shall not affect the repeal of such
26 section and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03585-01-3