On November 17th, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) announced that the Healthcare Worker Bonus (HWB) Program has been expanded to include both newly eligible employers and titles, as follows:
- New Qualified Employers
- DOH-funded Health Homes
- DOH-funded Permanent Supportive Housing Agencies
- New Eligible Titles
- Health Home Care Managers
- Security Guards and Peace Officers (in residential and institutional settings only)
- New Employers Who May Submit Qualifying “All Other Healthcare Support Workers”
- OMH Psychiatric Centers
- OASAS Addiction Treatment Centers
- Residential programs operated or certified by OPWDD, OMH, and OASAS
- Medicaid Assisted Living Programs
- Hospice Residences
There will be a special submission period open only to employers and employees included in this expansion. The special submission period will begin in December (exact date TBD) and will remain open for 30 days. During this period, employers (including newly eligible employers) should submit claims on behalf of eligible workers for Vesting Period 1 (October 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022) and Vesting Period 2 (April 1, 2022 – September 30, 2022). After this period, employers should follow the same vesting period schedule as other employers for the remainder of the program. Providers should not submit claims for any expanded employers or titles until the new submission period opens.
Additional details are available on the HWB Program webpage here.