Includes care and services provided by a child advocacy center licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by the office of children and family services under standard coverage for Medicaid recipients.
Summary
This bill would amend New York’s social services law to add care and services provided by a child advocacy center to the list of services covered under standard Medicaid coverage. The new covered category would apply to child advocacy centers established under the social services law and licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by the Office of Children and Family Services.
In practical terms, the bill is aimed at making Medicaid reimbursement available for services delivered through child advocacy centers, which commonly provide coordinated, child-focused support in cases involving abuse, neglect, or other trauma. The bill takes effect 180 days after becoming law, with immediate authorization for any necessary regulatory changes before the effective date.
Impact
The bill would expand the scope of Medicaid-covered services in New York by amending Social Services Law section 365-a to include child advocacy center care and services as standard coverage. This would affect Medicaid recipients who receive services through qualifying child advocacy centers, as well as the centers themselves, which could become eligible for Medicaid payment for covered services. It would also require any implementing regulations to be updated to reflect the new coverage category.
Sentiment
No committee transcript or recorded vote information is available, so there is no documented debate or formal vote history to indicate support or opposition. Based on the bill’s text, the measure appears to be a targeted health and child-welfare expansion intended to improve access to specialized services for vulnerable children.
Contention
The bill text itself does not identify any explicit points of contention, and no committee discussion or vote record is provided. Potential areas of concern, if raised in future debate, could include Medicaid cost implications, administrative implementation, and whether all services provided by child advocacy centers should be reimbursed under standard coverage, but these issues are not documented in the available materials.
Same As
Includes care and services provided by a child advocacy center licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by the office of children and family services under standard coverage for Medicaid recipients.