Legislation Introduced in New York to Prioritize Homecare

ALBANY, N.Y. (February 3, 2022)—The Home Care Association of New York State (HCA) is pleased to share that Assemblyman Richard Gottfried has introduced HCA-proposed legislation, the “New York Home Care First Act” (A. 9148), which reprioritizes homecare as a primary option for patients across the continuum of need, and conceptually aligns the state’s policies, rates and procedures with this principle.

The need and opportunity for comprehensively re-recognizing and supporting home care’s core and pivotal role in the health care delivery system is now. Agencies, workers, health plans—perhaps most importantly patients and families—need this action.

When the New York state legislature established Article 36 of the public health law in 1977, they specifically declared the expansion, availability and provision of homecare services to be “a primary focus of the state’s actions.” The law intended a focus of state policy, planning and development toward this priority goal and ensured coordination and consistency in state actions.

“Critical state support of the services, workers and homecare’s role throughout the health system urgently require renewed focus, realignment and reprioritization commensurate with New Yorkers’ needs,” says HCA President and CEO, Al Cardillo. “The need and benefits of homecare have never been clearer nor so great, today and into the future.”

In presenting concerns about this situation to the state legislature, particularly in the wake of COVID-19’s patient, agency, worker and system-wide impacts, HCA has fervently called for the adoption of a “homecare first” policy for the state. Individuals across the continuum of need and at risk of institutionalization who could be appropriately and beneficially served by home care should inarguably have this option. To make this option viable, HCA argued that the state’s policies, financing, supports and related health strategies must be firmly and consistently aligned to this goal.

HCA testimony at legislative hearings on COVID-19 and the elderly led to officials asking HCA to draft enabling legislation for this policy change. HCA developed, and the Legislature has now introduced “The New York Home Care First Act” (HCF) to reinforce home care as a principal option for patients across the continuum of need, and to align the state’s policies, rates and procedures consistent with this overall policy.

HCA asks the Governor to embrace and the Legislature to swiftly pass this urgently needed measure for New Yorkers. A summary of the bill’s provisions can be found here.