Bill Text: NY A00537 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to coverage for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder; removes provisions of the monetary limit for coverage of applied behavior analysis.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-4)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-08 - referred to insurance [A00537 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-A00537-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                          537
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                      (PREFILED)
                                    January 9, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M. of A. ABINANTI, STEVENSON, TITONE, COOK, ENGLEBRIGHT,
         ROBINSON, BENEDETTO -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.  FINCH,  GIBSON,
         GRAF,  RAIA,  THIELE  --  read  once  and referred to the Committee on
         Insurance
       AN ACT to amend the insurance law,  in  relation  to  coverage  for  the
         screening, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Subparagraph (B) of  paragraph  25  of  subsection  (i)  of
    2  section 3216 of the insurance law, as amended by chapter 596 of the laws
    3  of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
    4    (B)  Every  policy  which  provides physician services, medical, major
    5  medical or similar comprehensive-type coverage  shall  provide  coverage
    6  for  the  screening, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder
    7  in accordance with this paragraph and shall not exclude coverage for the
    8  screening,  diagnosis  or  treatment  of  medical  conditions  otherwise
    9  covered  by  the  policy because the individual is diagnosed with autism
   10  spectrum disorder. Such coverage may be subject to  annual  deductibles,
   11  copayments  and  coinsurance  as may be deemed appropriate by the super-
   12  intendent and shall be consistent with those imposed on  other  benefits
   13  under  the  policy.  [Coverage  for  applied  behavior analysis shall be
   14  subject to a maximum benefit of forty-five thousand dollars per year per
   15  covered individual and such maximum annual benefit will increase by  the
   16  amount  calculated from the average ten year rolling average increase of
   17  the medical component of the consumer price index.] This paragraph shall
   18  not be construed as limiting the benefits that are  otherwise  available
   19  to  an  individual  under  the policy, provided however that such policy
   20  shall not contain any limitations on visits that are solely  applied  to
   21  the  treatment  of  autism spectrum disorder. No insurer shall terminate
   22  coverage or refuse to deliver, execute, issue, amend, adjust,  or  renew
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD03639-01-3
       A. 537                              2
    1  coverage  to  an  individual  solely because the individual is diagnosed
    2  with autism spectrum disorder or has received treatment for autism spec-
    3  trum disorder. Coverage shall  be  subject  to  utilization  review  and
    4  external  appeals of health care services pursuant to article forty-nine
    5  of this chapter as well as, case  management,  and  other  managed  care
    6  provisions.
    7    S  2.  Subparagraph  (B)  of paragraph 17 of subsection (l) of section
    8  3221 of the insurance law, as amended by chapter  596  of  the  laws  of
    9  2011, is amended to read as follows:
   10    (B)  Every  group or blanket policy which provides physician services,
   11  medical, major medical  or  similar  comprehensive-type  coverage  shall
   12  provide  coverage  for  the screening, diagnosis and treatment of autism
   13  spectrum disorder in  accordance  with  this  paragraph  and  shall  not
   14  exclude  coverage  for  the screening, diagnosis or treatment of medical
   15  conditions otherwise covered by the policy  because  the  individual  is
   16  diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Such coverage may be subject to
   17  annual  deductibles,  copayments and coinsurance as may be deemed appro-
   18  priate by the superintendent and shall be consistent with those  imposed
   19  on  other  benefits  under  the  group  or blanket policy. [Coverage for
   20  applied behavior analysis shall be  subject  to  a  maximum  benefit  of
   21  forty-five  thousand  dollars  per  year per covered individual and such
   22  maximum annual benefit will increase by the amount calculated  from  the
   23  average  ten  year  rolling average increase of the medical component of
   24  the consumer price index.] This paragraph  shall  not  be  construed  as
   25  limiting  the  benefits  that  are  otherwise available to an individual
   26  under the group or blanket policy, provided  however  that  such  policy
   27  shall  not  contain any limitations on visits that are solely applied to
   28  the treatment of autism spectrum disorder. No  insurer  shall  terminate
   29  coverage  or  refuse to deliver, execute, issue, amend, adjust, or renew
   30  coverage to an individual solely because  the  individual  is  diagnosed
   31  with autism spectrum disorder or has received treatment for autism spec-
   32  trum  disorder.  Coverage  shall  be  subject  to utilization review and
   33  external appeals of health care services pursuant to article  forty-nine
   34  of  this  chapter  as  well  as, case management, and other managed care
   35  provisions.
   36    S 3. Paragraph 2 of subsection (ee) of section 4303 of  the  insurance
   37  law,  as  amended by chapter 596 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read
   38  as follows:
   39    (2) Every contract which provides physician services,  medical,  major
   40  medical  or  similar  comprehensive-type coverage shall provide coverage
   41  for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of autism  spectrum  disorder
   42  in  accordance  with  this subsection and shall not exclude coverage for
   43  the screening, diagnosis or treatment of  medical  conditions  otherwise
   44  covered  by the contract because the individual is diagnosed with autism
   45  spectrum disorder. Such coverage may be subject to  annual  deductibles,
   46  copayments  and  coinsurance  as may be deemed appropriate by the super-
   47  intendent and shall be consistent with those imposed on  other  benefits
   48  under  the  contract.  [Coverage  for applied behavior analysis shall be
   49  subject to a maximum benefit of forty-five thousand dollars per year per
   50  covered individual and such maximum annual benefit will increase by  the
   51  amount  calculated from the average ten year rolling average increase of
   52  the medical component of the consumer price index.] This paragraph shall
   53  not be construed as limiting the benefits that are  otherwise  available
   54  to an individual under the contract, provided however that such contract
   55  shall  not  contain any limitations on visits that are solely applied to
   56  the treatment of autism spectrum disorder. No  insurer  shall  terminate
       A. 537                              3
    1  coverage  or  refuse to deliver, execute, issue, amend, adjust, or renew
    2  coverage to an individual solely because  the  individual  is  diagnosed
    3  with autism spectrum disorder or has received treatment for autism spec-
    4  trum  disorder.  Coverage  shall  be  subject  to utilization review and
    5  external appeals of health care services pursuant to article  forty-nine
    6  of  this  chapter  as  well  as, case management, and other managed care
    7  provisions.
    8    S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
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