Directs the department of health to establish an alternative payment methodology (APM) for Federally Qualified Health Centers to preserve and improve patient access to fertility care

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Simcha Felder

Directs the Dept of Health to create an Alternative Payment Methodology for FQHCs to preserve and improve fertility-care access, though the enacting clause was struck.

RECOMMIT, ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN

Overview

S 6000 is a bill introduced on March 4, 2025, with the title: “Directs the department of health to establish an alternative payment methodology (APM) for Federally Qualified Health Centers to preserve and improve patient access to fertility care.” The bill seeks to have the state Department of Health create a new payment model specifically for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to support fertility services and patient access.

Purpose and Intent

Establish an Alternative Payment Methodology (APM) for Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Use the APM to preserve and improve patient access to fertility care, aiming to reduce barriers to fertility services and ensure sustainable funding for FQHCs delivering these services.

The overarching goal is to strengthen access to reproductive health services within FQHC networks.

Key Provisions (as described in available text)

Direct the Department of Health to design and implement an Alternative Payment Methodology (APM) tailored to Federally Qualified Health Centers.

The APM is intended to support fertility care delivery at FQHCs, with the expectation that it would enhance access for patients.

Specific design details (e.g., funding amounts, payment mechanics, performance metrics, implementation timeline) are not provided in the available bill text.

Affected Parties

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs): Primary implementers and beneficiaries, as the APM would apply to them.

Patients seeking fertility care: Beneficiaries of improved access and potential changes in how fertility services are funded and reimbursed.

Department of Health: Responsible for developing, approving, and administering the new APM.

State budget and health-care payers (implicitly): Depending on how the APM is funded and integrated with existing Medicaid or state programs, affected by changes in payment provisions.

Procedural History and Timeline

2025-03-04: Introduced and referred to the Health committee.

2025-05-27: Recommitted; enacting clause struck (listed twice in the record here).

Status: “RECOMMIT, ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN.” This indicates the bill has been sent back for revision and, in its current form, would not become law because the enacting clause has been struck. It remains subject to further legislative action or withdrawal/relocation to a new version.

Potential Impacts and Considerations

If enacted, the APM could provide more stable or targeted funding for fertility services at FQHCs, potentially improving access for underserved populations.

The bill’s lack of detailed provisions in the summary means funding mechanisms, eligibility criteria, performance metrics, and transition timelines would be critical areas for evaluation in any revised version.

The “enacting clause struck” status suggests substantial revisions would be needed before any enactment could occur; ongoing committee consideration or reintroduction is likely.

If you’d like, I can add a plain-language explainer of what an Alternative Payment Methodology (APM) typically entails and how it might affect FQHCs and fertility care in practice.

Bill