New York S 6918: Enacts the "keep kids covered act" to provide automatic continuous enrollment in medical assistance and child health plus for certain children through age five

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S06918 Summary:

BILL NOS06918 

&nbsp

SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORHOYLMAN-SIGAL

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COSPNSR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

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Amd §§366-h & 366, Soc Serv L; amd §2511, Pub Health L

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Requires automatic continuous enrollment in medical assistance and child health plus for previously eligible children through age five.

Go to top S06918 Actions:

BILL NOS06918 

&nbsp

03/26/2025REFERRED TO HEALTH

Go to topS06918 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS06918 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS06918 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 6918

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 March 26, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. HOYLMAN-SIGAL -- read twice and ordered printed, and
 when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health

 AN ACT to amend the social services law and the public health law, in
 relation to automatic continuous enrollment in medical assistance and
 the child health insurance plan for children through age five

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "keep kids
 2 covered act".
 3 § 2. Section 366-h of the social services law, as amended by chapter
 4 121 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
 5 § 366-h. Automated system; established. Notwithstanding any inconsist-
 6 ent provision of law or regulation, the commissioner of health shall, as
 7 soon as practicable, establish an automated system to ensure that
 8 persons who meet the criteria for receipt of medical assistance benefits
 9 under paragraph (a) or (c), or a child under paragraph (b), of subdivi-
 10 sion four of section three hundred sixty-six of this title shall remain
 11 enrolled in the medical assistance program without interruption and
 12 receive the benefits set forth according to paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of
 13 subdivision four of section three hundred sixty-six of this title. Pend-
 14 ing implementation of such automated system, such commissioner shall, in
 15 consultation with the office of temporary and disability assistance,
 16 undertake and continue efforts to educate local departments of social
 17 services about the measures they must take to ensure that medical
 18 assistance benefits are provided to persons eligible for such benefits
 19 under subdivision four of section three hundred sixty-six of this title.
 20 § 3. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 4 of section 366 of the social
 21 services law, as added by section 2 of part D of chapter 56 of the laws
 22 of 2013, subparagraph 1 as amended by section 3 of part CCC of chapter
 23 56 of the laws of 2022, subparagraph 3 as amended by section 1 of part M
 24 of chapter 57 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD07433-01-5

 S. 6918 2

 1 (b) Pregnant women and children.
 2 (1) A pregnant woman eligible for medical assistance under subpara-
 3 graph two or four of paragraph (b) of subdivision one of this section on
 4 any day of [her] the pregnancy will continue to be eligible for such
 5 care and services for a period of one year beginning on the last day of
 6 pregnancy, without regard to any change in the income of the family that
 7 includes the pregnant woman, even if such change otherwise would have
 8 rendered [her] the woman ineligible for medical assistance.
 9 (1-a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any child under the
 10 age of six who is at any time determined to be eligible for medical
 11 assistance, or who is a member of a family which was eligible for
 12 medical assistance but became ineligible, shall remain continuously
 13 eligible for medical assistance until the age of six and shall remain
 14 continuously enrolled under section three hundred sixty-six-h of this
 15 title. The department shall notify the parent or guardian of any child
 16 under the age of six who is determined to be eligible for medical
 17 assistance of the rights of such child to extended benefits under this
 18 subparagraph.
 19 (2) A child born to a woman eligible for and rece