Bill Text: NY S07673 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Prohibits public employers from diminishing health insurance benefits provided to retirees and their dependents or the contributions such employer makes for such health insurance coverage below the level of such benefits or contributions made on behalf of such retirees and dependents by the public employer as of November 1, 2022.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 8-4)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-25 - RECOMMIT, ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN [S07673 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S07673-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          7673

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                   September 29, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  MATTERA,  CLEARE, WEBER -- read twice and ordered
          printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

        AN ACT in relation to protecting the health insurance benefits of  reti-
          rees  of  public  employers  and  contributions  of retirees of public
          employers

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

     1    Section  1. This act shall be known as the "Health Equity for Retirees
     2  Act" or "(HERA)".
     3    § 2. 1. On and after the effective date of this act, a public employer
     4  shall not diminish the health insurance benefits  provided  to  retirees
     5  and  their  dependents or the contributions such employer makes for such
     6  health insurance coverage below the level of such benefits  or  contrib-
     7  utions  made  on  behalf  of  such retirees and their dependents by such
     8  public employer as of November 1, 2022.
     9    2. For the purposes of this act:
    10    (a) "diminish" shall mean any change in health care offered that could
    11  potentially make it harder for retirees  residing  anywhere  within  the
    12  United  States,  including  its  territories  and possessions, to access
    13  their health care than before such change was made. These changes  shall
    14  include,  but  are  not  limited  to, increasing the cost of such health
    15  care, forcing retirees into Medicare Advantage Plans,  forcing  them  to
    16  use  health  care  providers only from pre-designated panels, or forcing
    17  them to wait for  pre-authorization  for  medical  procedures  that  are
    18  recommended by their health care providers;
    19    (b)  "public  employer"  shall  mean the following: (i) the state or a
    20  civil division thereof; (ii) a county, city, town or  village;  (iii)  a
    21  school  district,  board of cooperative educational services, vocational
    22  education and extension board or a  school  district  as  enumerated  in
    23  section  1  of  chapter  566  of  the laws of 1967, as amended; (iv) any
    24  governmental entity operating a college  or  university;  (v)  a  public

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11812-01-3
        S. 7673                             2

     1  improvement or special district including police or fire districts; (vi)
     2  a  public  authority, commission or public benefit corporation; or (vii)
     3  any other public corporation, agency, instrumentality or unit of govern-
     4  ment  which  exercises  governmental power under the laws of this state;
     5  and
     6    (c) "retiree" shall mean a retiree of a public employer.
     7    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and  shall  be  deemed  to
     8  have been in full force and effect on and after November 1, 2021.