Bill > A03600

This bill amends the elder law to give the commissioner of health more flexibility in determining income for the program for elderly pharmaceutical insurance coverage (EPIC). Specifically, the bill allows the commissioner to adopt policies that exclude certain non-recurring income items that might artificially inflate an applicant's financial resources. Examples of such non-recurring items include previous year's wages and one-time distributions from individual retirement accounts (IRAs). The goal is to prevent these temporary or unusual income sources from disqualifying elderly individuals from participating in the EPIC program by making them appear to have more available funds than they actually do for meeting current needs. The bill modifies the existing definition of "income" in the elder law, which currently relies on the definition used in the real property tax circuit breaker credit program, by adding this new provision that gives the commissioner discretion in evaluating income for program eligibility.

Health and Social Services

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A3600