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

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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 an annual statement of wage parity hours and expenses to be accompanied by an independent accountant's report on applying agreed upon procedures on the annual compliance statement of wage parity, hours and expenses prior to payments for home care services by government agencies.

Requires each designated agency to employ a dementia care navigator to provide support for caregivers of individuals with dementia and to assist individuals with dementia in accessing appropriate services; requires the state office for the aging to establish the position of dementia care coordinator.

Relates to reimbursement of home care aides; requires the commissioner of health to ensure rate ranges for Medicaid managed care organizations comply with certain reimbursement rates.

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.

Requires one caregiver for every two children under eighteen months of age in group family day care homes and family day care homes.

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.

Requires review and approval by the commissioner of health of contracts for home care services provided to a licensed home care services agency from a managed care organization or a managed long term care plan; directs the commissioner of health to establish a dispute resolution process independent dispute resolution relating to billing under a contract for home care services.