November 17, 2022

READ CAREFULLY BELOW.Good news for employees of Health Homes & Permanent Supportive Housing Agencies

———- Forwarded message ———
From: doh.sm.mrtupdates <000000bdebb6a0e4-dmarc-request@listserv.health.state.ny.us>
Date: Thu, Nov 17, 2022 at 4:49 PM
Subject: Important Announcement Regarding Expansion of the Healthcare Worker Bonus (HWB) Program
To: <MRT-L@listserv.health.state.ny.us>

Dear MRT Listserv Subscriber,

Following review and approval by the New York State Director of the Budget, the Healthcare Worker Bonus (HWB) Program has been expanded to include additional titles and eligible provider types. However, qualified employers should NOT yet submit the employees that are now eligible under this expansion. Please see below for information about the submission period and details about the expansion.

Employer Submission Period

There will be a special submission period, during which employers impacted by this expansion can submit their newly eligible workers. This special submission period will ONLY be available to those employers and employees included in this expansion. This submission period will begin in December (exact date is forthcoming) and will remain open for 30 days. During this special submission period, employers  (including newly Qualified Employer) must submit their eligible workers for vesting periods 1 and 2. After this special submission period, these employees and employers will remain eligible and follow the same vesting period schedule as other employers for the remainder of the program.

PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT CLAIMS FOR THE EXPANDED TITLES AND EMPLOYERS UNTIL THE NEW SUBMISSION PERIOD IS OPENED.

If claims are submitted related to this expansion prior to the new submission period they will be denied and/or rejected by the system.

Please Note: This chart is specific to this expansion. An updated vesting period chart will be released when additional details regarding this expansion is released.

Program Expansion Details

There are both newly eligible employers and titles included in this expansion.

New Qualified Employers

Qualified employers that can submit their eligible “Frontline Direct Care Health and Mental Hygiene Workers” now include:

• DOH-Funded Health Homes
• DOH-Funded Permanent Supportive Housing Agencies

New Eligible Titles

Titles included in “Frontline Direct Care Health and Mental Hygiene Workers” now include:

• Health home care managers (DOH)

Changes to “All Other Health Care Support Workers” in residential and institutional settings only.

Health care support workers must support patient-facing care provided within a patient care unit of a hospital or other institutional medical setting in support of treating and caring for patients.

The category of “All Other Health Care Support Workers” is expanded to include:

• Security Guards
• Peace Officers

The employers permitted to submit their “All Other Health Care Support Workers” is expanded beyond Hospital and Nursing Homes (Article 28 of Public Health Law) and now includes:

• OMH Psychiatric Centers (Article 7 of Mental Hygiene Law)
• OASAS Addiction Treatment Centers (Article 19 of Mental Hygiene Law)
• Residential programs operated or certified by OPWDD, OMH, and OASAS (Articles 16, 31, and 32 of Mental Hygiene Law)
• Medicaid Assisted Living Programs (PHL Article 46-B)
• Hospice Residences (PHL Article 40)

Note: An expansion of eligible State employee titles will soon be announced in a forthcoming Budget Bulletin.

Please continue check the HWB Program webpage for the most current program information.

Thank you.