New York Senate Bill S08871 Latest Draft

   
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8871  IN SENATE March 22, 2024 ___________ 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. 24 § 302. Establishment of the Medicare maximization and assistance 25 program. 1. The commissioner shall establish within the department a 26 Medicare maximization and assistance program which shall be designed to EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD15000-01-4 
 S. 8871 2 1 identify state retirees eligible for but not receiving social security 2 disability insurance and Medicare coverage. 3 2. Elements of the program shall include: 4 (a) conducting an ongoing claims analysis of retirees for the purpose 5 of identifying individuals who may be eligible for social security disa- 6 bility insurance or Medicare benefits and are not yet receiving them; 7 (b) assisting any individual whose claims history and social security 8 eligibility qualify such individual to apply for and be awarded social 9 security disability and subsequently Medicare. Such assistance shall 10 include the following: 11 (i) developing communication materials to educate Medicaid recipients 12 about social security disability insurance benefits; 13 (ii) performing outreach to populations targeted by claims analysis; 14 (iii) analyzing responses to determine social security disability 15 insurance benefit or Medicare eligibility; 16 (iv) representing qualified individuals with their claim or claims to 17 qualify for social security disability insurance benefits and Medicare 18 enrollment; 19 (v) monitoring the program through reporting requirements and other 20 means to ensure contract performance and quality delivery of services; 21 and 22 (vi) monitoring the quality of services delivered to participants 23 through outcome measurements. 24 3. Under no circumstances shall an individual eligible for this 25 program experience any adverse change in health benefits or other bene- 26 fits as a result of participating in this program. No individual shall 27 be required to transfer to Medicare as a result of participating in this 28 program. 29 4. The commissioner shall provide the department and the legislature 30 with an annual report showing the number of Medicaid recipients who have 31 transitioned to social security disability insurance and Medicare and 32 the amount of savings realized by the program. 33 § 303. Investment of savings. The state shall invest any net savings 34 realized from the program back into the New York state health insurance 35 program for the purpose of eliminating or limiting the impact of any 36 premium rate or other cost increases that would be the responsibility of 37 an employee or retiree. 38 § 2. This act shall take effect April 1, 2024; provided, however, if 39 this act shall become a law after such date it shall take effect imme- 40 diately and shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on and 41 after such date.