Bill Text: NY S09906 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires insurance coverage for inhalers at no cost.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-09-11 - REFERRED TO RULES [S09906 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S09906-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9906

                    IN SENATE

                                   September 11, 2024
                                       ___________

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

        AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to requiring coverage  of
          asthma inhalers at no cost

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

     1    Section 1. Subsection (i) of section 3216  of  the  insurance  law  is
     2  amended by adding a new paragraph 40 to read as follows:
     3    (40)  (A)  Every  policy which provides medical coverage that includes
     4  coverage for physician services in a physician's office and every policy
     5  which provides major  medical  or  similar  comprehensive-type  coverage
     6  shall  include  coverage  for  inhalers  for  the treatment of asthma if
     7  recommended or prescribed by a physician or other licensed  health  care
     8  provider legally authorized to prescribe under title eight of the educa-
     9  tion law.
    10    (B)  Such  coverage  shall  not be subject to a deductible, copayment,
    11  coinsurance or any other cost-sharing requirement.
    12    § 2. Subsection (l) of section 3221 of the insurance law is amended by
    13  adding a new paragraph 23 to read as follows:
    14    (23) (A) Every group or blanket accident and health  insurance  policy
    15  issued  or  issued  for  delivery  in  this state which provides medical
    16  coverage that includes coverage for physician services in a  physician's
    17  office  and every policy which provides major medical or similar compre-
    18  hensive-type coverage shall include coverage for inhalers for the treat-
    19  ment of asthma if recommended or prescribed  by  a  physician  or  other
    20  licensed  health  care  provider  legally  authorized to prescribe under
    21  title eight of the education law.
    22    (B) Such coverage shall not be subject  to  a  deductible,  copayment,
    23  coinsurance or any other cost-sharing requirement.
    24    §  3.  Section  4303  of  the insurance law is amended by adding a new
    25  subsection (ww) to read as follows:
    26    (ww) (1) A medical expense indemnity corporation or a  health  service
    27  corporation  which  provides medical coverage that includes coverage for
    28  physician services in  a  physician's  office  and  every  policy  which

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD16080-02-4
        S. 9906                             2

     1  provides  major  medical  or  similar  comprehensive-type coverage shall
     2  include coverage for inhalers for the treatment of asthma if recommended
     3  or prescribed by a physician or  other  licensed  health  care  provider
     4  legally authorized to prescribe under title eight of the education law.
     5    (2)  Such  coverage  shall  not be subject to a deductible, copayment,
     6  coinsurance or any other cost-sharing requirement.
     7    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately and  shall  apply  to  all
     8  policies and contracts issued, renewed, modified, altered, or amended on
     9  or after such date.