NY A05886

Establishes an interagency task force on health literacy within the State University of New York to study and develop recommendations for improving health literacy across the state.

SUNY Chancellor appoints a faculty member from the SUNY School of Public Health in Albany to chair the task force, with 18 representatives invited from state agencies, medical organizations, universities, and health institutions.

Task force must examine residents' ability to access health services, identify barriers to care for those with low health literacy, and assess the impact of health care costs, treatment complexity, age, and cultural/linguistic diversity on health literacy.

Task force shall report findings and recommendations to the legislature by December 15, 2021, including proposed rules, regulations, and strategies for improving health literacy, promoting plain language use, simplifying insurance enrollment, and developing educational resources.

Act takes effect December 1, 2020.