New York State is demonstrating its commitment to the healthcare workforce through the Health Care Worker Bonus (HWB) Program. This initiative acknowledges the extraordinary dedication of frontline health and mental hygiene workers who have been instrumental in navigating the unprecedented challenges of the recent public health crisis.
Recognizing the immense pressure and strain experienced by these essential workers, and with the goal of attracting new talent while retaining experienced professionals, New York State has allocated $1.2 billion in bonus funding. This financial reward serves as a tangible expression of gratitude for their unwavering service and sacrifice over the past two years.
The Health Care Worker Bonus (HWB) program, established under Part ZZ of Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2022, is specifically designed to “recruit, retain, and reward health care and mental hygiene workers” who meet defined eligibility criteria. The bonus amounts are structured to reflect the hours worked by eligible employees during designated vesting periods, with individual workers potentially receiving up to $3,000 in total bonuses.
For further details, the official press release from New York State Governor Kathy Hochul provides additional context: Governor Hochul Launches Health Care Worker Bonus Program.
Understanding Qualified Employers for the HWB Program
The HWB program extends to a range of qualified employers across the healthcare and related sectors. Eligible employers include providers who bill for services under the Medicaid state plan or through Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers. This also encompasses providers with agreements to bill for Medicaid services via Managed Care Organizations or Managed Long Term Care plans. Certain educational institutions and other funded programs also qualify.
Specifically, this includes licensed facilities, pharmacies, and school-based health centers operating under the State Public Health Law, Mental Hygiene Law, and Education Law. Programs funded by key state offices such as the Office of Mental Health (OMH), Office for the Aging, Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), and the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) are also included.
The submission process for bonus claims differs depending on whether the employer is a Medicaid provider or not.
Medicaid Providers: To participate, Medicaid employers must be actively enrolled and payable through eMedNY, possessing a valid MMIS ID. These employers can then submit claims via the dedicated HWB Program Portal. Providers not yet enrolled with eMedNY can find enrollment information on the eMedNY website.
Non-Medicaid Employers: Employers seeking to claim bonuses for non-Medicaid employees should also use the HWB Program Portal, utilizing their SFS Vendor ID for submission. Employers with staff eligible for bonuses but not under Medicaid should contact their relevant state agency (e.g., Office of Mental Health, OPWDD, Office of Children and Family Services, OASAS) for specific program details and guidance.
It’s important to note that the education sector component of the bonus program is scheduled to be implemented starting in October.
Medicaid providers who qualify as employers but have state-paid employees should coordinate their bonus claims through their respective State agency.
Defining Worker Eligibility for the New York Bonus Program
The HWB program focuses on rewarding “front line health care and mental hygiene practitioners, technicians, assistants and aides that provide hands on health or care services to individuals”. To be eligible, employees must work for a qualified employer (as defined above) in one of the Eligible Worker Titles designated by the program.
Specific eligibility criteria for workers include:
- Continuous Employment: Employees must have been continuously employed by a qualified employer for at least one full vesting period.
- Eligible Worker Title: The employee’s job title must be included in the official list of Eligible Worker Titles.
- Annualized Base Salary Limit: Eligible employees must have an annualized base salary of $125,000 or less (excluding bonuses and overtime). This must be confirmed through an Employee Attestation Form, which employees need to complete and return to their employer.
- Employment Status: Eligibility is open to full-time, part-time, temporary employees, and independent contractors.
- Medicaid Program Status: Employees must not be suspended or excluded from the Medicaid program during the vesting period.
Bonus Amounts and Requirements for Healthcare Workers
Qualified employers are responsible for submitting bonus claims on behalf of their eligible employees who meet all the program criteria. Individual employees cannot apply for bonuses directly.
Claims must be submitted within 30 days of the publication of a vesting schedule for completed vesting periods, and subsequently within 30 days after each additional vesting period concludes. An employee becomes vested when they have worked for the employer throughout an entire vesting period in an Eligible Worker Title.
Upon an employee vesting, employers are required to provide them with an Employee Attestation Form. This form needs to be returned by the employee to the employer before the claim submission deadline (30 days post-vesting).
Employers are mandated to pay the bonus to eligible employees within 30 days of receiving the bonus funds from the state.
Bonus amounts are calculated based on the average weekly hours worked by the qualified employee during the vesting period:
- $500 Bonus: For employees working at least 20 hours but no more than 30 hours per week.
- $1,000 Bonus: For employees working at least 30 hours but no more than 35 hours per week.
- $1,500 Bonus: For employees working at least 35 hours per week.
Each qualified employee is eligible for up to two vesting periods per employer, with a maximum total bonus of $3,000.
Vesting Period Schedule for the HWB Program
A vesting period is defined as a continuous six-month block within the timeframe of October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2024. Employers will submit claims for all eligible employees whose 6-month vesting period concludes within the defined vesting period windows outlined in the schedule below:
| VestingPeriod | Vesting PeriodStart Date | Vesting PeriodEnd Date | Employer SubmissionStart Date | Employer SubmissionClose Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | October 1, 2021 | March 31, 2022 | August 3, 2022 | September 2, 2022 |
| Two | April 1, 2022 | September 30, 2022 | October 1, 2022 | November 30, 2022 |
| Three | October 1, 2022 | March 31, 2023 | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 |
| Four | April 1, 2023 | September 30, 2023 | October 1, 2023 | October 31, 2023 |
| Five | October 1, 2023 | March 31, 2024 | April 1, 2024 | May 1, 2024 |
The Vesting Period Schedule is also available for download in PDF format.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
To ensure program integrity, penalties are in place for qualified employers who do not properly identify, claim, and pay bonuses to their eligible workers. Employers failing to claim and/or pay bonuses for more than 10 percent of their bonus-eligible workforce may face penalties of up to $1,000 per violation of the HWB Program regulations.
The Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) will conduct audits of payments processed by eMedNY to verify the accuracy and appropriateness of bonus claims and disbursements.
Employer Bonus Claim Submission Process
Employers are responsible for initiating and completing the bonus claim process on behalf of their employees. Employees are not able to submit claims individually.
The claim submission process requires employers to create an account on the HWB Program Portal. For Medicaid employers, account creation requires a valid MMIS ID. Enrollment on the portal opened on Wednesday, August 3, 2022. Non-Medicaid employers will use their SFS Vendor ID to submit claims through the same portal.
Once enrolled, employers have two options for submitting employee data:
- Bulk Data Submission: Download a submission template for efficient bulk data uploads.
- Manual Entry: Submit employee information directly through manual entry on the portal.
Detailed instructions and guidance are available in the Technical Portal Guide, accessible on the HWB Program Portal.
Comprehensive List of Eligible Worker Titles
Eligible worker titles for the HWB program encompass a wide range of roles that provide direct, hands-on health or care services. These roles are categorized as frontline direct care health and mental hygiene workers, as well as essential health care support workers. The titles are aligned with classifications from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the State’s Consolidated Fiscal Reporting and Claiming (CFR) manual, as authorized under SOS § 367-w(2)(a)(iii).
Important Note on “All Other Health Care Support Workers”: This category includes workers in roles similar to the listed titles who directly support patient care in frontline settings. These individuals must be involved in supporting patient-facing care within a patient care unit of a hospital or similar institutional medical environment, contributing to the treatment and care of patients.
On November 17, 2022, the New York State Department of Health announced an expansion of the HWB Program to include additional titles and provider types. Detailed information can be found in the HWB Program Expansion Notice.
Complete List of Eligible Worker Titles:
| Frontline Direct Care Health and Mental Hygiene Workers | All Other Health Care Support Workers | Titles Determined by the Commissioner |
|---|---|---|
| – Assistant Program or Assistant Site Director – Case Manager – Certified First Responders – Certified Recovery Peer Advocate – Clinical Coordinator – Counselor – Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (CASAC) – Counseling Aide/Assistant – Alcoholism and Substance Abuse – Counselor – Rehabilitation – Dental Hygienists – Dental Assistants – Diagnostic Medical Sonographers – Dietician/Nutritionist – Exercise Physiologists – Intake/Screening – Licensed Mental Health Counselor (OASAS) – Licensed Mental Health Counselor (OCFS) – Medical Assistants – Mental Hygiene – Behavior Intervention Specialist 1 – Behavior Intervention Specialist 2 – Counselor – Crisis Prevention Specialist – Developmental Disabilities Specialist QIDP-Direct Care – Developmental Disabilities Specialist/Habilitation Specialist QIDP-Clinical – Early Recognition Specialist – Intensive Case Manager – Intensive Case Manager/Coordinator – Job Coach/Employment Specialist – Licensed Psychoanalyst – Licensed Mental Health Counselor – Manager – Peer Specialist – Residential Treatment Facility (RTF)Transition Coordinator – Senior Counselor – Supervisor – Mental Hygiene Worker – Nurses – Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurse – Licensed Practical Nurse – Nurse Anesthetist – Nurse Midwives – Nurse Practitioner – Nurse Practitioner/Nursing Supervisor – Nurse’s Aide/Medical Aide – Nursing Assistants – Registered Nurse – Orderlies – Orthotist – Other Clinical Staff/Assistants – Other Direct Care Staff – Paramedic – Peer Professional-Non-CRPA (OASAS Only) – Pharmacist – Pharmacy Technician – Phlebotomist – Physician Assistant – Program or Site Director – Prosthetist – Psychiatric Aide – Psychologist (Licensed) – Psychologist (Master’s Level)/Behavioral Specialist – Psychology Worker/Other Behavioral Worker – Residence/Site Worker – Social Worker-Licensed (LMSW, LCSW) – Social Worker-Master’s Level (MSW) – Speech-Language Pathologist – Therapists – Activity/Creative Arts Therapist – Marriage and Family Counselor/Therapist – Occupational Therapist – Occupational Therapy Assistant – Occupational Therapy Aide – Physical Therapist – Physical Therapy Assistant – Physical Therapy Aides – Radiation Therapist – Recreational Therapist – Respiratory Therapist – Speech Therapist – All Other Therapists – Technologists and Technicians – Advanced Emergency Medical Technician – Cardiovascular Technologists and Technician – Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technician – Dietetic Technician – Emergency Medical Technician – Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologist – Nuclear Medicine Technologist – Ophthalmic Medical Technician – Radiologic Technologist – Surgical Technologist – All Other Health Technologists and Technicians – Therapy Assistant/Activity Assistant | – Building Attendant – Building Service Aide – Building Service Worker – Clerks – Admitting Clerk – Admitting Clerk Cashier – Critical Care Clerk – Discharge Control Clerk – Emergency Services Clerk – Front Desk Clerk – Operating Room Clerk – Registration Clerk – Unit Clerk – Ward Clerk – Custodian – Dietary Aide – Dietary Worker – Dining Assistant – Dining Aide – Environmental Service Aide/Tech – Environmental Services Worker – Floor Maintenance Worker – Food & Nutrition Aide – Food Prep/Service Worker – Housekeeping Worker and Maid – Lead Intake Specialist – Maintenance/Physical Plant workers – Peace Officer – Sanitation Worker – Security Guard – Service Worker – Support Services Worker – Unit Assistant – Unit Associate – Unit Coordinator – Unit Receptionist – Unit Secretary | – Medical Fellow – Medical Resident |
Accessing Further Information
For more detailed information about the New York State Health Care Worker Bonus (HWB) Program, please visit the official HWB Program Portal. You can also contact the Health Care Worker Bonus (HWB) Call Center directly at (866) 682-0077.
