S 959: Establishes the disability benefits maximization and assistance program to assist eligible state retirees in obtaining certain disability benefits; provides for the investing of any net savings realized by the program back into the New York state health insurance program for the purpose of eliminating or limiting the impact of any premium rate or other cost increases that would be the responsibility of an employee or retiree.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 959 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to establishing the Medicare maximization and assistance program to assist eligible state retirees in obtaining certain Medicare benefits The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The civil service law is amended by adding a new article 15 2 to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE XV 4 MEDICARE MAXIMIZATION AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 5 Section 300. Definitions. 6 301. Purpose. 7 302. Establishment of the Medicare maximization and assistance 8 program. 9 303. Investment of savings. 10 § 300. Definitions. As used in this article, the following terms shall 11 have the following meanings: 12 1. "Eligible individual" means an individual retired from state 13 service eligible for benefits pursuant to article eleven of this chap- 14 ter. 15 2. "Program" means the Medicare maximization and assistance program 16 established pursuant to the provisions of this article. 17 § 301. Purpose. Persons who are under age sixty-five and disabled are 18 frequently eligible for, but not receiving social security disability 19 insurance and Medicare. The Medicare maximization and assistance program 20 is designed to ensure that eligible retirees are able to access all 21 benefits available to them. The benefits accrue not just to the retiree, 22 but to the state in ensuring that Medicare serves as the primary payer 23 for eligible persons. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02968-01-5 
 S. 959 2 1 § 302. Establishment of the Medicare maximization and assistance 2 program. 1. The commissioner shall establish within the department a 3 Medicare maximization and assistance program which shall be designed to 4 identify state retirees eligible for but not receiving social security 5 disability insurance and Medicare coverage. 6 2. Elements of the program shall include: 7 (a) conducting an ongoing claims analysis of retirees for the purpose 8 of identifying individuals who may be eligible for social security disa- 9 bility insurance or Medicare benefits and are not yet receiving them; 10 (b) assisting any individual whose claims history and social security 11 eligibility qualify such individual to apply for and be awarded social 12 security disability and subsequently Medicare. Such assistance shall 13 include the following: 14 (i) developing communication materials to educate Medicaid recipients 15 about social security disability insurance benefits; 16 (ii) performing outreach to populations targeted by claims analysis; 17 (iii) analyzing responses to determine social security disability 18 insurance benefit or Medicare eligibility; 19 (iv) representing qualified individuals with their claim or claims to 20 qualify for social security disability insurance benefits and Medicare 21 enrollment; 22 (v) monitoring the program through reporting requirements and other 23 means to ensure contract performance and quality delivery of services; 24 and 25 (vi) monitoring the quality of services delivered to participants 26 through outcome measurements. 27 3. Under no circumstances shall an individual eligible for this 28 program experience any adverse change in health benefits or other bene- 29 fits as a result of participating in this program. No individual shall 30 be required to transfer to Medicare as a result of participating in this 31 program. 32 4. The commissioner shall provide the department and the legislature 33 with an annual report showing the number of Medicaid recipients who have 34 transitioned to social security disability insurance and Medicare and 35 the amount of savings realized by the program. 36 § 303. Investment of savings. The state shall invest any net savings 37 realized from the program back into the New York state health insurance 38 program for the purpose of eliminating or limiting the impact of any 39 premium rate or other cost increases that would be the responsibility of 40 an employee or retiree. 41 § 2. This act shall take effect April 1, 2025; provided, however, if 42 this act shall become a law after such date it shall take effect imme- 43 diately and shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on and 44 after such date.