Bill Text: NY S04571 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Directs the department of financial services, in consultation with the commissioner of health, to study and report upon insurance coverage for the treatment of Lyme disease.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Vetoed) 2019-12-20 - VETOED MEMO.269 [S04571 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S04571-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          4571
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                     March 15, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by Sen. GAUGHRAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance
        AN ACT directing the department of financial services,  in  consultation
          with the commissioner of the department of health, to study and report
          upon  the  adequacy  of  insurance  coverage for the treatment of Lyme
          disease and other tick-borne related diseases
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1. The legislature hereby finds that the increasing number of
     2  Lyme disease and tick-borne related diseases in  New  York  state  high-
     3  lights  the need to examine the current status of the adequacy of insur-
     4  ance coverage related to this health epidemic. Lyme disease  is  one  of
     5  several  tick-borne  diseases  which  result  in  extreme  and long term
     6  fatigue, nausea, depression, joint pain and many other severe  symptoms.
     7  Lyme  disease  is  the  most  common  vector-borne illness in the United
     8  States, and New York is one of 14 states that account for 95%  of  cases
     9  in  the  United  States.  According  to the New York state department of
    10  health, over 20,000 cases of Lyme disease were diagnosed  between  years
    11  2012 to 2014.  While sufferers of these tick-borne diseases require long
    12  term  treatment, health insurance companies have denied services related
    13  to necessary medical treatment.
    14    § 2. The superintendent of the department of  financial  services,  in
    15  consultation  with  the  commissioner of the department of health, shall
    16  review the adequacy of insurance coverage  for  the  treatment  of  Lyme
    17  disease  and  other tick-borne related diseases and make recommendations
    18  regarding any coverage limitations that may be found. Such review  shall
    19  include but not be limited to:
    20    (a)  the present state of insurance coverage for the treatment of Lyme
    21  disease and other tick-borne related diseases within New York state;
    22    (b) prevailing reasons for the denial of insurance  coverage  for  the
    23  treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne related diseases;
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00470-01-9
        S. 4571                             2
     1    (c)  the  number of insureds in need of long term care of Lyme disease
     2  and other tick-borne related diseases;
     3    (d)  the number of uninsured persons in need of long term care of Lyme
     4  disease and other tick-borne related diseases;
     5    (e) coverage required by other states for treatment for long term  and
     6  chronic Lyme disease in other states;
     7    (f)  specific  medical  conditions  related  to Lyme disease and other
     8  tick-borne related diseases; and
     9    (g) recommendations to ensure that there is adequate coverage for Lyme
    10  disease, including long term care of Lyme disease, and other  tick-borne
    11  related diseases within New York state.
    12    § 3. Within one hundred twenty days of the effective date of this act,
    13  the  superintendent  of  financial services shall submit a report to the
    14  governor, temporary president of the senate and speaker of the  assembly
    15  of the department's findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
    16    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.