Top Legislative Issues
Specialized Nursing Services
Memo in Support
Bill Number: S.5429 (Hannon)
Summary:
HCP strongly supports this bill, which updates and clarifies references to the "Private Duty Nursing Program" in law, changing them to "Specialized Nursing Services."
Position:
HCP strongly supports this legislation because the current description of "Private Duty Nursing" in the Social Services Law and Public Health Law do not describe the actual nature of the nursing services being provided to special needs populations.
Changing the name of the program will more accurately describe what the services entail as the current program enables thousands of severely disabled, technology-dependent patients to remain in the community and out of more costly institutional care settings. Also, the program would still deliver skilled high-tech nursing services to disabled children and adults in their homes.
This legislation would also still provide peace of mind to families as they would know that their own energy and sacrifice, combined with the support of appropriate skilled nursing care, would enable their loved ones to be cared for at home.
HCP strongly encourages passage of this legislation as changing the description to "Specialized Nursing Services" would more accurately describe the actual nature of the nursing services being provided to special needs populations.
