New York Assembly Bill A08048

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/22/25
• Refer: 4/22/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Directs the commissioner of health to establish or approve an add-on rate for pediatric practices implementing the HealthySteps model.

Summary

This bill directs the Commissioner of Health to establish or approve an add-on payment rate for pediatric practices that implement the HealthySteps model, a nationally recognized, team-based care model for young children and families. The stated legislative intent is to improve quality and access to pediatric care by encouraging HealthySteps implementation so that more children can receive evidence-based screenings, health promotion and prevention services, and connections to family supports. The add-on payment would apply to pediatric practices that are on track with or meet HealthySteps fidelity criteria. The bill defines pediatric practice and HealthySteps model, and it specifies that the model serves children from birth through age six. It also provides special payment treatment for federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics by allowing the add-on to be paid in addition to existing reimbursement methodologies and excluding the revenue from certain managed care and wrap-around payment calculations.

Impact

The bill would amend section 2807 of the Public Health Law to create a new state payment mechanism for pediatric providers implementing HealthySteps. It would require the Department of Health to set or approve an add-on rate, subject to federal financial participation, and would affect reimbursement rules for pediatric practices, federally qualified health centers, and rural health clinics. The act is scheduled to take effect April 1, 2027, with authorization for any necessary implementing regulations to be adopted before that date.

Sentiment

The available record suggests generally positive support for the bill, as reflected in its advancement through committee and the absence of recorded opposition in the provided materials. The bill’s findings emphasize access to team-based care, behavioral health promotion, and early childhood prevention, indicating a policy goal that is likely to be broadly viewed favorably by child health and family support advocates. No floor votes or committee transcript objections were provided, so the public debate cannot be fully assessed from the record here.

Contention

The main policy issue embedded in the bill is whether the state should create a targeted reimbursement incentive for practices that adopt HealthySteps and meet fidelity standards. Potential points of contention include the fiscal cost of the add-on, whether the state can secure federal financial participation, how strictly fidelity criteria should be applied, and whether the payment structure should treat FQHCs and rural health clinics differently from other pediatric providers. Because no committee transcript or vote record was supplied, there is no documented opposition or specific stakeholder dispute in the materials provided.