Bills affecting Caregiver (family or unpaid) in New York (2026 session)

Requires the commissioner of health to establish regional minimum hourly base reimbursement rates for home care aides.

Removes certain restrictions on eligibility for personal and home care services under medicaid.

Provides that the submission of claims for services provided by home care agencies shall be done on forms approved by the centers for Medicare and Medicaid services.

Enacts the "fair pay for home care act" relating to minimum wages applicable to home care aides; provides for a minimum wage of 150% of the applicable statewide or regional minimum wage.

Extends wage parity for home care workers in upstate New York.

Places limits on the maximum amount of hours a home care aide may be required to work without voluntarily consenting to such an assignment.

Authorizes collaborative programs for community paramedicine services as part of the hospital-home care-physician collaboration program.

Provides that a caregiver shall be eligible for assistance for child care under the child care block grant regardless of the hours the parent actually works.

Increases the amount of the credit against taxes for long-term care insurance from twenty to forty percent and from one thousand five hundred dollars to two thousand five hundred dollars.

Authorizes and directs the commissioner of education to conduct a study on the number of children who are caregivers and how being a caregiver impacts their education.

Relates to the dissemination of information pertaining to individuals suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia through the NY Connects: Choices for Long Term Care program.

Requires the Medicaid inspector general to exam and report to the legislature on cost reports from licensed home care service agencies and make recommendations on improvements.

Changes the definition of continuous supervision in relation to physical therapist assistants in both the home care setting and school setting by eliminating the joint visit requirement with the patient by the supervising licensed physical therapist and the licensed physical therapist assistant.

Requires a report on individuals who are the primary caregiver for an older adult, including the number of individuals who are primary caregivers for an older adult, the average age of a primary caregiver, the cost to an individual to provide care to an older adult, and the economic value and savings to the state of such individual's services.

Establishes the adult care facility voucher demonstration program for persons with dementia, Alzheimer's diagnosis, or other cognitive impairments to provide a sliding-scale subsidy for adult care facility residents who are at risk of losing nursing home care due to depleted resources and to individuals who are not eligible for Medicaid or supplemental security income, but in need of adult day care services.

Establishes the caregiver coordinating commission to coordinate statewide planning, development, and implementation of caregiver support services, including respite care, for informal family caregivers caring for those across the lifespan.

Relates to informal caregiver training; defines "person in need of assistance"; expands who may serve as an "informal caregiver".

Establishes a special needs assisted living program to serve residents of certified assisted living residences with neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia or Parkinson's disease, who are experiencing behavior disturbances.

Establishes the home care jobs innovation program and the home care jobs innovation fund to identify, develop and support projects throughout the state designed to increase the number of individuals who become home care workers and to increase the employment retention of individuals who are employed as home care workers; provides for the granting of awards to such projects; makes an appropriation therefor.

Eliminates the "look-back period" for home care for non-institutionalized Medicaid applicants; repeals a certain provision of law relating thereto.