A08529 Summary:

BILL NOA08529
 
SAME ASSAME AS S08080
 
SPONSORSolages
 
COSPNSRBichotte Hermelyn, Gunther
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Rpld Art 25 Title 6-A, Pub Health L (as proposed in S.1867-A & A.5435-A); add §365-p, Soc Serv L
 
Directs the state department of social services to establish and maintain a community doula directory for doulas for the purposes of Medicaid reimbursement and promoting doula services to Medicaid recipients.
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A08529 Actions:

BILL NOA08529
 
01/05/2024referred to health
01/17/2024reported referred to ways and means
01/22/2024reported referred to rules
01/22/2024reported
01/22/2024rules report cal.6
01/22/2024ordered to third reading rules cal.6
01/23/2024substituted by s8080
 S08080 AMEND= BROUK
 01/05/2024REFERRED TO RULES
 01/08/2024ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.62
 01/17/2024PASSED SENATE
 01/17/2024DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
 01/17/2024referred to ways and means
 01/23/2024substituted for a8529
 01/23/2024ordered to third reading rules cal.6
 01/23/2024passed assembly
 01/23/2024returned to senate
 01/26/2024DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR
 01/26/2024SIGNED CHAP.18
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A08529 Committee Votes:

HEALTH Chair:Paulin DATE:01/17/2024AYE/NAY:23/0 Action: Favorable refer to committee Ways and Means
PaulinAyeJensenAye
DinowitzAyeByrnesAye
GuntherAyeGandolfoAye
RosenthalAyeMikulinAye
HevesiExcusedBlumencranzAye
SteckAyeBendettAye
BraunsteinAyeGrayAye
SolagesAyeMcGowanAye
Bichotte HermelAye
SayeghAye
McDonaldAye
ReyesAye
Gonzalez-RojasExcused
RajkumarAye
ForrestAye
KellesAye
LucasAye

RULES Chair:Pretlow DATE:01/22/2024AYE/NAY:26/0 Action: Favorable
HeastieExcusedBarclayAye
WeinsteinExcusedHawleyAye
PretlowAyeGiglioAye
CookAyeBlankenbushAye
GlickAyeNorrisAye
AubryAyeRaAye
DinowitzAyeBrabenecAye
ColtonAyePalmesanoAye
MagnarelliAyeReillyAye
PaulinAye
Peoples-StokesAye
BenedettoAye
LavineAye
LupardoAye
ZebrowskiAye
ThieleAye
BraunsteinAye
DickensExcused
DavilaAye
HyndmanExcused
RozicExcused
BronsonAye

WAYS AND MEANS Chair:Weinstein DATE:01/22/2024AYE/NAY:31/0 Action: Favorable refer to committee Rules
WeinsteinExcusedRaAye
GlickAyeFitzpatrickExcused
PretlowAyeHawleyAye
ColtonAyeBlankenbushAye
CookAyeNorrisAye
AubryAyeBrabenecAye
BenedettoAyePalmesanoAye
WeprinAyeWalshAye
RamosAyeDeStefanoAye
BraunsteinAyeManktelowAye
McDonaldAyeSmullenAye
CunninghamAye
DinowitzAye
MagnarelliAye
ZebrowskiAye
BronsonAye
DilanAye
SeawrightAye
HyndmanExcused
WalkerExcused
Bichotte HermelAye
SimonAye
CruzAye
FahyAye

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A08529 Floor Votes:

There are no votes for this bill in this legislative session.
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A08529 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A8529
 
SPONSOR: Solages
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the social services law, in relation to the New York state community doula directory; and to repeal certain provisions of the public health law relating thereto   PURPOSE: To make clarifying changes of terms and to move the New York state Services Law.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: This bill amends Chapter 607 of the Laws of 2023 by changing the location of the New York State community doula registry from the Public Health Law to the Social Services Law, as the law relates to Medicaid. The bill also changes the term "childbirth" to "pregnancy" to clarify that doula services are covered for Medicaid members even when their pregnancy does not end in childbirth.   JUSTIFICATION: The United States is facing a maternal health crisis, with the rates of mortality higher than other similarly developed nations. In 2020, the United States mortality rate was 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births. This maternal mortality rate is three times higher than the rate of France, which holds the second highest rate for industrialized coun- tries. This maternal mortality rate has continually increased since 2018. In the United States, the mortality rate for Black mothers is dispropor- tionately higher than that for White women. This statistic also applies to New York State, where Black women die from pregnancy-related causes at three times the rate of White women. Further, in New York City, Black women are twelve times as likely to suffer a pregnancy-related death. New York State lacks adequate and equitable health care for pregnant people. This growing issue needs a solution. Doula care is a promising approach to combating disparities in maternal health. Doulas offer prenatal, intranatal, and postpartum care to provide support and comfort to birthing people. Growing research shows that doula care improves health outcomes for both pregnant people and newborn babies, including higher breastfeeding initiation rates, fewer low-birth weight babies, and lower rates of cesarean births. Despite the benefits of doula care, only a small percentage of pregnant people use a doula due to lack of information and economic barriers. Furthermore, Black women are the most likely to want doula services, yet face the largest barriers in accessing them New York State can improve access to doula services by creating a centralized location for pregnant people to Connect with qualified local doulas. A community doula direc- tory will provide a cascading benefit in all spectrums of maternal care in New York. These amendments reflect the intention of A5435-A of 2022 by moving the New York State community doula directory from the Public Health Law to the Social Services Law, as the terms of the bill relate to Medicaid coverage. The bill also clarifies that pregnant individuals are eligible for Medicaid coverage of doula services prior to childbirth, and when the individual's pregnancy does not result in childbirth, by changing the term "childbirth" to "pregnancy." These changes ensure that eligible individuals enrolled in Medicaid that request and deserve comprehensive doula services will have a central location to connect with Medicaid enrolled doulas.   LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: This is a new bill.   BUDGET IMPLICATIONS: None noted.   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2023 amending the public health law relating to establishing the New York state community doula directory for doulas serving Medicaid patients, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 1867-A and A. 5435-A, takes effect.
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A08529 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          8529
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                     January 5, 2024
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Health
 
        AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation  to  the  New  York
          state  community  doula directory; and to repeal certain provisions of
          the public health law relating thereto
 
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. Title 6-A of article 25 of the public health law, as added
     2  by a chapter of the laws of 2023 amending the public health law relating
     3  to establishing the New York state community doula directory for  doulas
     4  serving  Medicaid  patients, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.
     5  1867-A and A. 5435-A, is REPEALED.
     6    § 2. The social services law is amended by adding a new section  365-p
     7  to read as follows:
     8    §  365-p. Doulas for Medicaid. 1. Definitions. (a) For the purposes of
     9  this section, "doula" means a trained  person  who  provides  continuous
    10  physical,  emotional, and informational support to a pregnant person and
    11  the family of such pregnant person during or  a  reasonable  time  after
    12  pregnancy.
    13    (b)  A  doula  may provide services in hospitals, birthing centers, at
    14  home deliveries and other community settings.
    15    2. New York state community doula directory. (a) The department  shall
    16  establish  and  maintain  a  community doula directory for doulas on the
    17  department's internet website for the purposes of Medicaid reimbursement
    18  and promoting doula services to Medicaid recipients.
    19    (b) The directory shall include the following  information  concerning
    20  doulas such as:
    21    (i) the name of the doula who provides doula services;
    22    (ii)  the  address  and  location  of  where  the doula provides doula
    23  services;
    24    (iii) the name of each Medicaid provider  that  employs  or  contracts
    25  with a doula to provide doula services to eligible Medicaid recipients;
    26    (iv)  the doula's national provider identification number, if applica-
    27  ble; and
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04573-04-4

        A. 8529                             2
 
     1    (v) all documentation of criteria pursuant  to  subdivision  three  of
     2  this section.
     3    (c)  The department shall determine the method of registration and the
     4  documentation required to verify such criteria has been met.
     5    (d) Each doula shall be responsible for  completing  the  requirements
     6  pursuant to subdivision three of this section.
     7    (e)  The  department shall not impose any fee on any doula to register
     8  for admittance into the New York state community doula directory.
     9    (f) The community doula directory shall be publicly accessible  at  no
    10  cost  to  the  doula or birthing person looking to hire a doula in their
    11  community.
    12    3. Criteria for admittance into the New  York  state  community  doula
    13  directory.  (a) Each doula seeking Medicaid reimbursement shall apply to
    14  be registered in the New York state community doula directory.
    15    (b) A doula shall submit to the department a certified  copy  of  such
    16  doula's certification from a doula educational organization or by demon-
    17  stration  of  satisfactory proficiency pursuant to this subdivision, and
    18  his, her, or their full name, address, phone number, email address,  and
    19  if applicable, their national provider identification number.
    20    §  3.  This  act  shall  take  effect on the same date and in the same
    21  manner as a chapter of the laws of 2023 amending the public  health  law
    22  relating  to  establishing  the New York state community doula directory
    23  for doulas serving Medicaid patients, as proposed in  legislative  bills
    24  numbers S.  1867-A and A. 5435-A, takes effect.
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A08529 LFIN:

 NO LFIN
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A08529 Chamber Video/Transcript:

1-23-24Video (@ 00:52:18)Transcript pdf Transcript html
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