(a) "Eligible participant" means a person enrolled in medical assistance under title eleven of article five of the social services law who is a pregnant woman who will be a first-time mother; and her newborn, either or both of whom is at risk for poor outcomes. "Participant" means an eligible participant who is participating in the nurse-family partnership program.

(b) "Nurse-family partnership program" or "program" means the nurse-family partnership program established under this section.

(c) "Nurse-family partnership provider" or "provider" means a county health department, including the health department of the city of New York, or an entity in contract with such a health department to provide services under the program or an entity that contracts directly with the commissioner to provide services under this program.

(d) "Case management services" means services that assist a participant in gaining access to needed medical, social, educational, and other services, including: an assessment to determine service needs; development of a care plan based on the assessment; referral to medical, social, educational and other providers; and monitoring and other follow-up activities to ensure that the care plan is effectively implemented and addresses the assessed needs. 3. The nurse-family partnership program is a nurse home-visiting program in which a nurse-family partnership provider provides case management and nursing services (primarily nurse home visits to participants) to eligible participants up to the child's second birthday. Participation in the program shall be voluntary for eligible participants. 4. A nurse-family partnership provider shall be approved by a nationally-recognized organization involved with nurse-family partnership programs, designated by the commissioner, and shall meet such other criteria as established by the commissioner. 5. The commissioner may establish the nurse-family partnership program in one or more social services districts and may establish program enrollment limits based on analysis of need and available appropriations. 6. Nurse-family partnership program services provided by a provider to an eligible participant under this section shall be deemed to be medical assistance services under title eleven of article five of the social services law. The commissioner may establish, subject to the approval of the director of the division of the budget, rates of payment to nurse-family partnership providers for providing nurse-family partnership program services. 7. The commissioner shall submit all appropriate amendments to the state plan for medical assistance and shall submit applications for waivers of the federal social security act as shall be necessary to obtain federal financial participation in the costs of services provided pursuant to this section.