Bill Text: NY S00998 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Permits telemedicine services for mental and behavioral health issues under the workers' compensation system; permits one in-person visit within twelve months unless such in-person visit causes undue hardship on a patient.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-08 - REFERRED TO LABOR [S00998 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-S00998-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           998

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 8, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  BROUK  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Labor

        AN ACT to amend the workers' compensation law, in relation to permitting
          telemedicine services for mental and behavioral  health  issues  under
          the workers' compensation system

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

     1    Section 1. Section 13-m of the workers' compensation law is amended by
     2  adding a new subdivision 15 to read as follows:
     3    15. Telehealth visits for psychological testing, treatment  and  coun-
     4  seling  by  psychiatrists,  psychologists  and  licensed clinical social
     5  workers shall be permitted with one in-person visit within twelve months
     6  of the first video telehealth visit and within six months of  the  first
     7  audio-only  telehealth  visit  unless (a) in the provider's professional
     8  judgment, an in-person visit service is likely to  cause  disruption  in
     9  service delivery or has the potential to worsen the patient's condition,
    10  or  (b)  would  create undue hardship upon the patient or such patient's
    11  family. A finding of undue burden shall include consideration of whether
    12  travel to and from the  in-person  visit  would  cause  undue  financial
    13  burden or unreasonable physical or mental distress.
    14    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.




         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01455-01-5