§ 3600. Declaration of legislative findings and intent. The legislature hereby finds and declares that the provision of high quality home care services to residents of New York state is a priority concern. Expanding these services to make them available throughout the state as a viable part of the health care system and as an alternative to institutional care should be a primary focus of the state's actions.

Home health care has only recently been recognized legislatively as an integral part of the health care delivery system and has proven to have an important and valuable role in patient care. The certified home health agencies render a coordinated array of services to patients in their homes, thereby avoiding prolonged institutionalization, concomitant high costs and associated adverse social and medical implications.

The legislature intends that there be a public commitment to the appropriate provision and expansion of services rendered to the residents of the state by certified home health agencies, to the maintenance of a consistently high level of services by all home care services agencies, to the central collection and public accessibility of information concerning all organized home care services, and to the adequate regulation and coordination of existing home care services.