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We support this bill and need people to call,write or fax their NY State representative and senators and ask them to support this bill. -A6575 Provide $500,000 in Funding for Real Health Care Reform Support the Legislative Commission on Health Coverage Reform (A6575 – Gottfried) The Legislative Commission on Health Coverage Reform would help New York develop a long-term, comprehensive and cost-effective solution to the growing costs and complexities of the state’s health care programs, including Medicaid and long term care. The Commission has been endorsed by more than 3 dozen Assembly members and mirrors a successful strategy that has been utilized in other states such as Maine, California and Maryland. The Commission proposal has been endorsed by more than 250 organizations, including the NYS Nurses Association, NYPIRG, Physicians for a National Health Plan (NY), Rekindling Reform, Hunger Action Network of NYS, Capital District Area Labor Federation, Community Service Society, American Medical Student Association (Albany Med and Cornell), Rochester Interfaith Health Coalition, ES2, SENSES, NASW NYS, UJA Federation of NY, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, Public Health Association of NYC, Professional Staff Congress (CUNY), Congress of Senior Citizens, Metro Health NY, Western NY Health Care Campaign, NYS Health Care Campaign, Citizen Action and SCAA. Millions of New Yorkers are unable to have full access to health care because they lack health coverage. The current system of health coverage undermines the health and financial security of those who lack coverage; imposes increasing financial burdens on employers, taxpayers and individuals who pay for health coverage; unfairly distributes the economic and social costs of health care; and undermines the financial viability of health care providers. The purpose of this legislation is to develop and evaluate options to move NY to a system that will provide or promote health coverage for all and help overcome the problems of the current system. A legislative commission on health coverage reform would be created to examine, evaluate and make recommendations concerning mechanisms for providing comprehensive, affordable, quality health coverage to all New Yorkers while controlling costs and ensuring freedom of choice for consumers. The commission shall have two committees, one on universal publicly financed health coverage and one on expanding traditional health coverage. Publicly financed health coverage models may include a single-payer system similar to traditional Medicare, a system using multiple private carriers similar to child health plus or family health plus, so-called "pay or play" models, or other systems. Proposals for publicly funded health coverage may also include appropriate cost-containment elements, including control of major health care provider capital expenditures. The committee on expanding traditional health coverage shall examine proposals such as pooling arrangements, mandates, subsidies, incentives, tax mechanisms, cost-shifting to consumers, limitations on benefits, health savings accounts, and cost-containment elements, including control of major health care provider capital expenditures. The bill calls for a half million dollars in funding. The commission would evaluate the effect of proposals on: (a) advancing the goal of universal health coverage; (b) controlling the cost of health coverage and health care; (c) fairly and equitably distributing the cost of health coverage and health care; (d) the level and distribution of costs as a barrier to health coverage or health care; (e) employers and employment; (f) the special concerns of small businesses; the self-employed and sole-proprietors; collective bargaining arrangements; people with multiple, seasonal or sporadic employment; low-income households; and people who are unemployed, under-employed or unable to work; and, (g) the economic viability of hospitals, community health centers, health care professionals, and other health care providers. While the present debate on capping local contribution to Medicaid has merit, it fails to address the underlying problems of either Medicaid or our overall state health care system. Health care costs across the board have increased by double digits in each of the last four years. We need more health care for the money we are already spending – not more money for an inadequate health care system. We need a solution that helps consumers, governments and businesses by providing quality, affordable health care for all New Yorkers. S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________
6575
2005-2006 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
March 16, 2005
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GOTTFRIED, GRANNIS, CAHILL, P. RIVERA, JACOBS,
PEOPLES, EDDINGTON, LIFTON, TONKO, ROBINSON, LAVINE, BENEDETTO --
Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BENJAMIN, BOYLAND, CANESTRARI,
A. COHEN, COLTON, COOK, CYMBROWITZ, DiNAPOLI, DINOWITZ, FARRELL,
GALEF, GLICK, GORDON, HEASTIE, KOON, LAFAYETTE, LAVELLE, LENTOL,
LOPEZ, McENENY, PAULIN, N. RIVERA, SANDERS, SWEENEY, WEISENBERG,
ZEBROWSKI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT creating the legislative commission on health coverage reform,
making an appropriation therefor, and providing for the repeal of such
provisions upon expiration thereof
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds and
2 declares that millions of New Yorkers are unable to have full access to
3 health care because they lack health coverage. The current system of
4 health coverage undermines the health and financial security of those
5 who lack coverage; imposes increasing financial burdens on employers,
6 taxpayers and individuals who pay for health coverage; unfairly distrib-
7 utes the economic and social costs of health care; and undermines the
8 financial viability of health care providers. The purpose of this legis-
9 lation is to develop and evaluate options to move New York to a system
10 that will provide or promote health coverage for all and help overcome
11 the problems of the current system.
12 S 2. A legislative commission on health coverage reform (referred to
13 in this act as the "commission") is hereby created to examine, evaluate
14 and make recommendations concerning mechanisms for providing comprehen-
15 sive, affordable, quality health coverage to all New Yorkers while
16 controlling costs and ensuring freedom of choice for consumers. The
17 commission shall have two committees, as follows:
18 1. a committee on universal publicly financed health coverage; and
19 2. a committee on expanding traditional health coverage.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
{ } is old law to be omitted.
LBD09885-01-5
A. 6575 2
1 S 3. 1. The commission shall consist of 14 members to be appointed as
2 follows: 5 by the temporary president of the senate, 2 by the minority
3 leader of the senate, 5 by the speaker of the assembly, and 2 by the
4 minority leader of the assembly. Appointees shall be broadly represen-
5 tative of the geographic areas of the state and include representation
6 from providers and consumers of health care, insurers, organized labor,
7 business and local government. The temporary president of the senate and
8 the speaker of the assembly shall each designate a co-chair of the
9 commission from among its members, who shall jointly chair the commis-
10 sion.
11 2. The co-chair designated by the temporary president of the senate
12 shall appoint the members and chair of the committee on expanding tradi-
13 tional health coverage. The co-chair designated by the speaker of the
14 assembly shall appoint the members and chair of the committee on public-
15 ly financed health coverage. The members and chairs of the committees
16 shall be appointed from among the members of the commission.
17 3. Vacancies in the membership of the commission and among its offi-
18 cers shall be filled in the manner provided for original appointments.
19 S 4. 1. The committee on publicly financed health coverage shall exam-
20 ine and propose one or more proposals for providing universal health
21 coverage through publicly-sponsored health coverage financed entirely or
22 predominantly through broad-based public financing. These proposals
23 shall assure that every state resident receives a comprehensive set of
24 benefits determined by public policy, regardless of employment status.
25 Coverage and benefits shall not be means-tested, nor shall benefits
26 impose more than minimal cost-sharing on individual consumers. However,
27 this shall not preclude progressively-graduated financing. Publicly
28 financed health coverage models may include a single-payer system simi-
29 lar to traditional medicare, a system using multiple private carriers
30 similar to child health plus or family health plus, so-called "pay or
31 play" models, or other systems. Proposals for publicly funded health
32 coverage may also include appropriate cost-containment elements, includ-
33 ing control of major health care provider capital expenditures. Policy
34 making for the system as a whole and accountability shall reside with
35 state government.
36 2. The committee on expanding traditional health coverage shall exam-
37 ine and propose one or more proposals for providing or promoting
38 universal health coverage through variations on existing private and
39 public health coverage mechanisms. These proposals may include, but not
40 be limited to, pooling arrangements, mandates, subsidies, incentives,
41 tax mechanisms, cost-shifting to consumers, limitations on benefits,
42 health savings accounts, and cost-containment elements, including
43 control of major health care provider capital expenditures.
44 3. Both committees shall consider the effect of proposals on:
45 (a) advancing the goal of universal health coverage;
46 (b) controlling the cost of health coverage and health care;
47 (c) fairly and equitably distributing the cost of health coverage and
48 health care;
49 (d) the level and distribution of costs as a barrier to health cover-
50 age or health care;
51 (e) employers and employment;
52 (f) the special concerns of small businesses; the self-employed and
53 sole-proprietors; collective bargaining arrangements; people with multi-
54 ple, seasonal or sporadic employment; low-income households; and people
55 who are unemployed, under-employed or unable to work; and
A. 6575 3
1 (g) the economic viability of hospitals, community health centers,
2 health care professionals, and other health care providers.
3 S 5. 1. Each committee shall have an advisory board appointed by the
4 chair of the committee. Members of the advisory boards shall be repre-
5 sentative of or advocates for health care consumers, health care provid-
6 ers and professionals, organized labor (both health-related and other),
7 business, and insurers, as well as health policy analysts and academic
8 experts.
9 2. Each committee shall solicit proposals appropriate to the commit-
10 tee`s scope from the general public; members, representatives of or
11 advocates for various stakeholders in the health care and health cover-
12 age systems; and academic or other experts. A proposal submitted to the
13 committees shall include a statement demonstrating the expected costs
14 and impacts of the proposal and its ability to meet the goals and objec-
15 tives of this act, including the criteria in section four of this act.
16 S 6. 1. The commission shall develop a timetable for its work, includ-
17 ing the work of the committees.
18 2. Each committee shall hold public hearings in various regions of the
19 state prior to formulating its proposals, and shall submit a report on
20 its proposals to the commission.
21 3. The commission shall hold a series of public hearings in various
22 regions of the state on the reports of the committees.
23 4. The commission shall have one or more independent analyses done on
24 the proposals developed by each committee. The analysis shall assess and
25 compare the expected costs and impacts of each proposal and their abili-
26 ty to meet the goals and objectives of this act, including the criteria
27 in section four of this act. The commission shall contract with one or
28 more independent not-for-profit entities to conduct the analyses.
29 5. The commission shall submit a report to the legislature on
30 universal health coverage, including any recommendations concerning
31 mechanisms for providing comprehensive, affordable, quality health
32 coverage to all New Yorkers while controlling costs and ensuring freedom
33 of choice for consumers. The report shall include the reports of the
34 committees and the independent analysis.
35 S 7. 1. The commission may employ and at pleasure remove such person-
36 nel as it may deem necessary for the performance of its functions and
37 fix their compensation within the amounts available therefor.
38 2. The commission shall have all the powers of a legislative committee
39 under the legislative law.
40 3. The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for
41 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
42 incurred in the performance of their duties.
43 4. No member, officer or employee of the commission shall be disquali-
44 fied from holding any other public office or employment, nor shall he or
45 she forfeit any such office or employment by reason of appointment here-
46 under, notwithstanding the provisions of any general, special or local
47 law, ordinance or charter.
48 5. To the maximum extent feasible, the commission shall be entitled to
49 request and receive and shall utilize and be provided with such facili-
50 ties, resources, and data of any court, department, division, board,
51 bureau, commission, or agency of the state or any political subdivision
52 thereof, including the legislature, as it may reasonably request to
53 carry out properly its powers and duties.
54 6. The commission is authorized and empowered to enter into any agree-
55 ments and to do and perform any acts that may be reasonably necessary to
56 carry out the purposes and objectives of this act.
A. 6575 4
1 7. The commission may accept grants or other assistance from any
2 government agency or not-for-profit entity to support or assist it in
3 carrying out its responsibilities.
4 S 8. The sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000), or so much
5 thereof as may be necessary is hereby appropriated to the commission to
6 pay the expenses incurred, including personal service, in carrying out
7 the provisions of this act. Such moneys shall be payable out of the
8 state treasury in the general fund to the credit of the state purposes
9 account after audit by and on the warrant of the comptroller upon vouch-
10 ers certified or approved by the co-chairs of the commission as
11 prescribed by law. Funds appropriated under this section shall be evenly
12 distributed to each committee, less amounts reserved for general commis-
13 sion expenditures.
14 S 9. This act shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect
15 until the one hundred eightieth day after submission of the report spec-
16 ified in section six of this act, when upon such date the provisions of
17 this act shall be deemed repealed.
.SO DOC A 6575 *END* BTXT 2005
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