Establishes a physician loan forgiveness program for geriatric medicine; provides for loan forgiveness awards of up to fifteen thousand dollars per year for up to five years.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6257
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 11, 2017
___________
Introduced by Sen. HANNON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing a
physician loan forgiveness program for geriatric medicine
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 10
2 to read as follows:
3 ARTICLE 10
4 PHYSICIAN LOAN FORGIVENESS
5 PROGRAM
6 Section 1001. Physician loan forgiveness program for geriatric medicine.
7 § 1001. Physician loan forgiveness program for geriatric medicine. 1.
8 Physician loan forgiveness awards shall be issued annually to physicians
9 who agree to practice in the specialty of geriatric medicine as defined
10 by the commissioner, in consultation with the director of the office for
11 the aging.
12 2. Such participating physicians shall receive an educational loan
13 forgiveness award of up to fifteen thousand dollars per year for a maxi-
14 mum of five years. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regu-
15 lations to administer such loan forgiveness program.
16 3. The physician applicant must be a resident of the state, licensed
17 to practice medicine, and certified in the practice of geriatric medi-
18 cine or have a concentration in that specialty. The applicant must have
19 completed a professional residency program within the five years imme-
20 diately preceding the period for which the first award would be granted,
21 or be within two years of completion of an accredited residency program
22 in geriatric medicine. The applicant must agree to practice medicine
23 within the state.
24 4. The commissioner shall establish criteria for the selection of
25 participants in the program. A priority shall be accorded to any appli-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09018-02-7
S. 6257 2
1 cant who is completing a year of the service requirement and is re-ap-
2 plying for a new award. The commissioner shall verify the physician's
3 eligibility and the physician's total medical educational loan expenses.
4 5. Within such time as the commissioner shall by regulation provide, a
5 participating physician shall have agreed to practice geriatric medicine
6 for a period of twelve months for each annual payment to be received by
7 the participant. In no case shall the total service required be less
8 than two years nor be more than five years.
9 6. The commissioner shall develop and secure from each participant, a
10 written agreement to:
11 (a) practice geriatric medicine;
12 (b) accept Medicare and Medicaid payments; and
13 (c) provide at least thirty-five hours per week of direct patient care
14 in the area being served.
15 If a recipient fails to comply fully with such conditions, the commis-
16 sioner shall be entitled to receive from such participant reimbursement
17 of such award in an amount to be determined by the commissioner. Any
18 amount which the commissioner is entitled to recover under this subdivi-
19 sion shall be paid within the five-year period beginning on the date
20 that the participant failed to comply with the program criteria. Nothing
21 in a written agreement under this section shall affect the terms of
22 employment of the individual who shall negotiate, separate and apart
23 from the program, his or her salary and other forms of employment with
24 an agency, practice, institution or program in which he or she shall be
25 employed.
26 7. Any obligation to comply with the provisions of this section shall
27 be cancelled upon the death of the participant. The commissioner shall
28 promulgate regulations to provide for the waiver or suspension of any
29 financial obligation which would involve extreme hardship.
30 8. A participant of the program shall report annually to the depart-
31 ment on forms prescribed by the commissioner, as to the performance of
32 the required services, commencing with the calendar year in which the
33 participant begins to practice geriatric medicine and continuing until
34 the recipient shall have completed, or it is determined that he or she
35 shall not be obligated to complete, the program. The commissioner shall
36 have the discretion to waive the filing of a report, excuse a delay in
37 filing or a failure to file a report for good cause shown.
38 9. Participation in the program shall not prevent participants from
39 being eligible to apply for other programs or awards.
40 10. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary
41 to implement the provisions of this section.
42 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
43 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediate-
44 ly, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation
45 necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
46 authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such
47 effective date.