S 1222: Directs the commissioner of health to contract with an independent entity to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the existing methodology used to determine payment for early intervention screenings, evaluations, services and service coordination; directs recommendations on reimbursement methodology as well as needs under the program.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1222 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. RIVERA, ASHBY, BROUK, HELMING, MYRIE, ROLISON, SALA- ZAR, WEBB -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Disabilities AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to a review and recommendations of reimbursement adequacy and other matters relating to early intervention 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 section 2 2557-a to read as follows: 3 § 2557-a. Early intervention program review. 1. The commissioner shall 4 conduct a comprehensive study and review of the early intervention 5 program including the models of service delivery and the rates of 6 reimbursement for each such service and model made through the early 7 intervention program for efficacy, adequacy and effectiveness of service 8 delivery and the full implementation of individualized family service 9 plans. The review shall include: 10 (a) a comprehensive assessment of the existing methodology used to 11 determine payment for early intervention screenings, evaluations, 12 services and service coordination, including but not limited to: 13 (i) analysis of early intervention rules, regulations, and policies, 14 including policies, processes, and revenue sources; 15 (ii) analysis of costs to providers participating in the early inter- 16 vention program, including time and cost of travel, service provision, 17 and administrative activities; and 18 (iii) analysis by discipline and labor region of salary levels for 19 individuals providing early intervention services compared to the salary 20 levels for individuals in the same disciplines and labor regions provid- 21 ing services other than in the early intervention program; 22 (b) recommendations for maintaining or changing reimbursement method- 23 ologies. Recommendations under this paragraph shall be consistent with EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00007-01-5 
 S. 1222 2 1 federal law and shall include recommendations for appropriate changes in 2 state law and regulations. The recommendations shall consider appropri- 3 ate payment methodologies and rates for in-person and telehealth early 4 intervention evaluations and services to address barriers in timely 5 service provision as well as racial and socioeconomic disparities in 6 access, with consideration of factors including, but not limited to, 7 payment for bilingual services, travel time, geographic variability, 8 access to and cost of technology, cost of living, and other barriers to 9 timely service provision; 10 (c) the projected number of children who will need early intervention 11 services in the next five years disaggregated by county; 12 (d) the workforce needed to provide services in the next five years to 13 all children eligible for early intervention services, disaggregated by 14 county; and 15 (e) opportunities for stakeholder input on current rate methodologies. 16 2. Such review shall also include an assessment of the efficacy of 17 program models for the provision of early intervention services, includ- 18 ing, but not limited to group services, individual services, facility 19 based services and home-based services and the configurations of such 20 service models. Such review shall include a comprehensive assessment of 21 the utilization of each model and configuration, including barriers to 22 fuller utilizations, and utilization disaggregated by clinical service. 23 3. Within one year after the effective date of this section, the 24 commissioner shall submit a report of the findings and recommendations 25 under this section to the governor, the temporary president of the 26 senate, the speaker of the assembly, and the chairs of the senate and 27 assembly committees on health, and shall post the report on the depart- 28 ment's website. 29 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.