Bill Text: NY A02129 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Provides that group health insurance policies offered in the large group market that is issued, amended, or renewed in this state shall provide coverage for corrective lenses used to correct the sight of individuals medically diagnosed with color vision deficiency.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-15 - referred to insurance [A02129 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-A02129-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          2129

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 15, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Insurance

        AN  ACT  to amend the insurance law, in relation to providing reimburse-
          ment for certain corrective lenses used to correct color vision  defi-
          ciency

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 3221 of the insurance law is amended  by  adding  a
     2  new subsection (v) to read as follows:
     3    (v) (1) Every group health insurance policy offered in the large group
     4  market  that  is issued, amended, or renewed in this state shall provide
     5  coverage for corrective lenses used to correct the sight of  individuals
     6  medically diagnosed with color vision deficiency.
     7    (2) An insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to four
     8  hundred  dollars  every  thirty-six  months  for expenses related to the
     9  purchase of up to one pair of corrective lenses.
    10    (3) The insured person may  choose  corrective  lenses  exceeding  the
    11  amount  of coverage required by this section and shall be liable for the
    12  difference in cost. Reimbursement shall be  provided  according  to  the
    13  respective  principles and policies of the health insurance plan and may
    14  include such policy provisions as  deductibles,  coinsurance,  allowable
    15  charge limitations, and coordination of benefits.
    16    (4)  For  the  purposes  of this subsection, "corrective lenses" shall
    17  mean any lens, including contact lenses, glasses or spectacles, worn  in
    18  front of the eye to correct the sight of individuals medically diagnosed
    19  with color vision deficiency.
    20    §  2.  Section  4303  of  the insurance law is amended by adding a new
    21  subsection (ww) to read as follows:
    22    (ww) (1) A group contract issued, amended, or renewed pursuant to this
    23  section offered in the large group market  shall  provide  coverage  for

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02000-01-5
        A. 2129                             2

     1  corrective  lenses  used  to  correct the sight of individuals medically
     2  diagnosed with color vision deficiency.
     3    (2) An insured person shall be entitled to reimbursement of up to four
     4  hundred  dollars  every  thirty-six  months  for expenses related to the
     5  purchase of up to one pair of corrective lenses.
     6    (3) The insured person may  choose  corrective  lenses  exceeding  the
     7  amount  of coverage required by this section and shall be liable for the
     8  difference in cost. Reimbursement shall be  provided  according  to  the
     9  respective  principles and policies of the health insurance plan and may
    10  include such policy provisions as  deductibles,  coinsurance,  allowable
    11  charge limitations, and coordination of benefits.
    12    (4)  For  the  purposes  of this subsection, "corrective lenses" shall
    13  mean any lens, including contact lenses, glasses or spectacles, worn  in
    14  front of the eye to correct the sight of individuals medically diagnosed
    15  with color vision deficiency.
    16    §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
    17  have become a law.