On Aug. 3, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the $1.2 billion dollar Health Care and Mental Hygiene Worker Bonus Program, aimed at rewarding and retaining frontline healthcare and mental hygiene workers.

Passed as part of the state budget, this program requires health care providers to pay up to $3,000 in bonuses to health care and mental hygiene practitioners, technicians, assistants, support staff, and aides.

The State Department of Health (DOH) launched a website with guidance aimed at implementing the program, with the first deadline for employers' submissions coming up quickly on Sept. 2.

Qualified Employers

Qualified employers are employers that:

• bill under the state Medicaid plan,
• bill under the home or community-based services (HCBS) waiver, or
• bill for Medicaid through a managed care organization or managed long term care plan.

This definition includes providers, facilities, pharmacies, and school-based health centers licensed under the Public Health Law, Mental Hygiene Law and Educational Law, as well as certain programs funded by state agencies.

Eligible Employees

Full-time and part-time employees, as well as independent contractors, may be eligible for the bonus. It's available to workers who are front-line health care and mental hygiene practitioners, technicians, assistants and aides that provide hands-on health or care services to individuals.

To be qualified, workers must:

• be continuously employed by a qualified employer for the duration of at least...

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