Directs the department of health to contract with a qualified entity for a feasibility study and actuarial analysis of long-term services and supports…

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

• Democratic4
• Republican3

This bill has cosponsors from more than one party.

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Shelley Mayer says this is needed

The New York State Department of Health estimates that by 2030, more than 5.3 million New Yorkers will be over the age of 60.(1) Many will need long term care services and supports at some point in their later years.(2) Contrary to what many believe, the federal Medicare program does not pay for long term care; it provides for time-limited rehabilitative care only.(3) To qualify for long term care through the Medicaid program, New Yorkers must deplete income or assets and may be left with very little to get by on. Private long term care insurance is not an option for many given the cost, as policies have become increasingly unaffordable.(4) Rate increases are frequent and, in many cases, staggeringly large. The New York State Department of Financial Services has reported that as of December 2022, the number of New Yorkers with long term care insurance policies was only 386,686,(5) well below the 50% of New Yorkers over 65 who are expected to need long term care services in the future.(6) The result is a lack of help for those requiring financial assistance to meet long term care needs. Too many are forced to spend down income and assets to become eligible for Medicaid, to pay out-of-pocket for care- givers for themselves or loved ones, or to directly take on care respon- sibilities for family members. This impacts not only the individuals needing care, but families as well. For those providing care to family members, the sacrifices (such as loss of income and career opportu- nities) are many.(7) The struggle to pay for long term care is an issue that touches almost every family in New York State - 50% of us will need long term care at some point in our lives, and yet we do not have a system in place to address the high costs of such care. It is long past time to change that. In the absence of progress on the federal level, several states have taken the lead in addressing this pressing issue for their residents. In 2023 Washington State established the nation's first public long term care insurance program, WA Cares, which guarantees long term care insur- ance coverage for every worker in the state.(8) In April 2025, Massachu- setts released its "Long-Term Services and Supports Feasibility Study,"(9) funded by the Massachusetts legislature in its FY 2024 state budget.(10) Other states, including California, Michigan, Hawaii, Minne- sota, Maine, and Vermont, are exploring solutions. Many have taken the initial step of funding a study to explore public insurance options.(11) This bill would put New York on the path towards a viable solution to the long term care crisis by funding a study to explore public long term care insurance options.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.