In recent weeks, the New York State Senate and Assembly have considered the following health care-related legislation.

• Eligibility for Medical Assistance: On April 4, the Assembly Health Committee referred legislation (A.10161) introduced by Assemblyman Richard Gottfried to the Assembly Ways and Means Committee. A.10161 seeks to ensure that low-income individuals who lose eligibility for cash assistance are informed that they may still qualify for Medicaid and ensures that children enrolled in a managed care plan who lose their eligibility for Medicaid are automatically enrolled in Child Health Plus (CHP) or 60 days or until their eligibility for CHP or Medicaid is determined. A.10161 is an important step in helping eligible individuals and families to enroll in Medicaid and to retain their coverage while they are eligible. GNYHA strongly supports A.10161.

• Public Access to Health Care Information: A.8464, sponsored by Assemblyman Gottfried, was approved by the Assembly Health Committee on April 4. The Health Care Reform Act of 1996 established a task force on clinical practice guidelines and medical technology assessment and a task force on health care quality improvement and information systems. A.8464 would require the Commissioner of Health to utilize the information collected by these task force groups by establishing a program for expanding public access to health care information maintained by the NYS Department of Health, to submit annual reports on its activities to improve public access, and to make recommendations in improving utility/validity of data to the Governor and the Legislature. A.8464 provides for confidentiality of patient identity and other data.

• Sexual Assault Reform: On April 12, Assembly leaders announced a proposal similar to the Senate's Sexual Assault Reform Act (S.1592-A) that would toughen penalties for sexual assaults and provide more relief for survivors of sexual assaults. Both versions would permit the reimbursement by the NYS Crime Victims Board for counseling, medical treatment, or other services for sexual assault survivors who do not report the assault to criminal justice agencies but who do incur out-of-pocket costs for their medical treatment, a provision that GNYHA strongly supports. The Assembly version contains additional measures, including specialized training for nurses who examine victims and guaranteed financing every year for rape crisis centers. The Assembly plans to introduce its proposal in a written bill some time this week.