Section 2530. Nurse-family partnership

1. The commissioner is authorized to
  establish, subject to federal financial participation and within amounts
  appropriated  therefor, the nurse-family partnership program, a Medicaid
  program subject to title eleven of article five of the  social  services
  law, aimed at improving the health of eligible participants.
    2.  As  used  in  this  section,  the  following  terms shall have the
  following meanings:
    (a)  "Eligible  participant"  means  a  person  enrolled  in   medical
  assistance under title eleven of article five of the social services law
  who  is  a  pregnant  woman  who  will  be  a first-time mother; and her
  newborn,  either  or  both  of  whom  is  at  risk  for  poor  outcomes.
  "Participant"  means an eligible participant who is participating in the
  nurse-family partnership program.
    (b)  "Nurse-family  partnership  program"  or  "program"   means   the
  nurse-family partnership program established under this section.
    (c)  "Nurse-family  partnership provider" or "provider" means a county
  health department, including the health department of the  city  of  New
  York,  or an entity in contract with such a health department to provide
  services under the program or an entity that contracts directly with the
  commissioner to provide services under this program.
    (d)  "Case  management  services"  means  services   that   assist   a
  participant  in  gaining  access to needed medical, social, educational,
  and other services, including: an assessment to determine service needs;
  development of a care plan based on the assessment; referral to medical,
  social, educational  and  other  providers;  and  monitoring  and  other
  follow-up  activities  to  ensure  that  the  care  plan  is effectively
  implemented and addresses the assessed needs.
    3. The nurse-family  partnership  program  is  a  nurse  home-visiting
  program  in  which  a  nurse-family  partnership  provider provides case
  management  and  nursing  services  (primarily  nurse  home  visits   to
  participants)   to  eligible  participants  up  to  the  child's  second
  birthday. Participation in the program shall be voluntary  for  eligible
  participants.
    4.  A  nurse-family  partnership  provider  shall  be  approved  by  a
  nationally-recognized   organization    involved    with    nurse-family
  partnership  programs,  designated  by  the commissioner, and shall meet
  such other criteria as established by the commissioner.
    5. The commissioner may establish the nurse-family partnership program
  in one or more social  services  districts  and  may  establish  program
  enrollment   limits   based   on   analysis   of   need   and  available
  appropriations.
    6. Nurse-family partnership program services provided by a provider to
  an eligible participant under this section shall be deemed to be medical
  assistance services under title eleven of article  five  of  the  social
  services law. The commissioner may establish, subject to the approval of
  the  director  of  the  division  of  the  budget,  rates  of payment to
  nurse-family   partnership   providers   for   providing    nurse-family
  partnership program services.
    7.  The  commissioner  shall  submit all appropriate amendments to the
  state plan for medical assistance  and  shall  submit  applications  for
  waivers  of  the  federal  social  security act as shall be necessary to
  obtain federal financial participation in the costs of services provided
  pursuant to this section.